Ministry Statements & Speeches:
The following was released by the Governments of Australia, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, and the United States on the Occasion of the APEC SME Ministerial Meeting, September 9-10, 2022.
We express our unwavering support for APEC and our deep appreciation to Thailand, as APEC Chair in 2022, for delivering a successful host year. We commend Thailand’s leadership in hosting the 2022 APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting and fostering cooperation to support MSMEs.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has disrupted the global economy, creating a burden on MSMEs, which often lack the tools to mitigate risk. We are committed to peace and stability in our region. The international community must stand united against Russia’s aggression, which undermines the rules-based international order.
We condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. We strongly urge Russia to immediately cease its use of force and completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from Ukrainian territory, consistent with the legally binding decision of the International Court of Justice [16 March].