Foreign and trade ministers of the member states of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation organization began on Wednesday a two-day session during the 2012 APEC summit.

The officials are expected to discuss issues of food security, alert readiness for emergency situations and natural calamities, the development of the trade and investment liberalization, promotion of the regional economic integration and other issues.

“Russia views its chairmanship in the APEC forum as an important direction towards incorporation into the regional integration processes and promotion of effective and mutually beneficial cooperation with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said before the session.

This is the first time Russia, an APEC member since 1998, is hosting the summit of the group, created in 1989 to promote economic cooperation among the countries and regions - such as Taipei and Hong Kong - of the Pacific Rim.

The APEC summit is taking place on Russky Island in the city of Vladivostok in Russia’s Primorye Region on September 2 to 9.