APEC summit disrupted in Bangkok due to North Korean ICBM test

Tags: Summits International News

The 29th summit meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) being held in Bangkok, Thailand was briefly interrupted on 18 November 2022 as they condemned the North Korea  for its fresh test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). ICBM is a land based nuclear capable ballistic missile with a range of 5,600 Km or more.

The two-day (18 & 19 November) summit meeting was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Thailand Prayuth Chan-ocha on 18 November 2022.

The U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called an emergency gathering of leaders from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Canada and New Zealand on the sidelines of the summit after North Korea carried out the missile test just an hour before its inauguration.

This is the third summit level meeting in the Asia Pacific region within a month after the East Asia Summit in Cambodia and G-20 summit at  Bali, Indonesia.

 Russia is a member of both G20 and APEC but President Vladimir Putin has stayed away from the summits. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov is representing him at APEC.

The next Summit meeting will be held in the United States of America in 2023.

India is not a member of APEC.

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum with 21 member economies across Asia-Pacific region.

It was set up in 1989 to promote regional economic integration under a non-legally binding manner and friendly environment.

APEC group countries account for 38% of the global population, 62% of world’s gross domestic product and 48% of the world trade.

21 Member of APEC are:

Australia; Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand,  Philippines, Singapore, Thailand; United States, China; Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei(Taiwan), Mexico ,Papua New Guinea ,Chile , Peru; Russia; and Vietnam.

Headquarters: Singapore