* Putin says economic risks remain, seeks Asian allies
* Portrays Russia as gateway to Europe, stable ally
* Russia to host Asia-Pacific summit in Vladivostok
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 7 (Reuters) - President Vladimir
Putin issued a warning over the fragile state of the global
economy on Friday as he set out plans for Russia to build
economic ties with Asia at a time when Europe is battling a debt
crisis.
Looking relaxed, Putin fielded questions from businessmen
for 90 minutes before a summit with Asia-Pacific leaders,
portraying Russia as a reliable energy supplier for Asia and as
a gateway to Europe for Asian investors.
Russia sees the weekend summit as a chance to make a pivotal
shift away from Europe, increasing political and economic links
with countries in Asia that are showing relatively strong
economic growth as Europe struggles with its debt crisis.
Citing the risk to economic recovery from high debts and
volatility on global markets, he said Russia and the 20 other
members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum
meeting on Saturday and Sunday could shore up their defences
against a new crisis by tightening regional cooperation.
Pointedly referring to Chinese President Hu Jintao as his
friend, he made repeated references to the importance of trade
and energy ties with Beijing. Although Washington is also an
APEC member, he hardly mentioned the United States.
"The accumulation of contradictions (in the global economy)
has not gone away," said the 59-year-old leader, who limped into
a meeting earlier on Friday, at a question-and-answer session
with international business leaders in Russia's newly spruced up
Pacific port city of Vladivostok.
"Russia supports the strengthening of ... regional
integration built on common understanding and with the mutual
interests of close geographical partners taken into account," he
said.
Aides did not say why Putin was limping.
Back in the presidency after four years as prime minister,
the Kremlin leader portrayed host city Vladivostok as a bridge
to Russia and Europe for other APEC states.
Russia has pumped $21 billion into the long underdeveloped
region to attract investors, tourists and gamblers from Asia,
and built the world's biggest cable-stayed bridge - its pylons
nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower in Paris - from mainland
Vladivostok to the summit venue on nearby Russky Island.
Although Russian gas monopoly Gazprom is facing a
competition investigation by the European Union executive over
its pricing policies, and despite price disputes in the past
during which it has reduced supplies, Putin held up Russia as a
reliable oil and gas supplier for Asia.
"Traditionally, we pay particular attention to regional
energy cooperation and ensuring a stable energy balance in the
region. Russia as one of the world's leading and secure energy
suppliers is able to play a key role," Putin said.
"The first thing and the main thing that we are going to do
is develop transport infrastructure," he added.
GREEN TRADE BREAKTHROUGH
APEC groups countries around the Pacific Rim which account
for 40 percent of the world's population, 54 percent of its
economic output and 44 percent of trade.
Discussions at the weekend meeting are expected to focus on
food security and trade liberalisation. An agreement had
already been reached before the summit to slash import duties on
technologies that can promote economic growth without
endangering the environment.
"This is really a significant achievement, in that it shows
how APEC can lead," said Deputy U.S. Trade Representative
Demetrios Marantis. "It allows us to accomplish the twin goals
of liberalising trade and green growth."
Ministers agreed on a list of 54 green technologies that
will be subject to import duties of 5 percent or less from 2015,
following through on a commitment made by leaders at the last
APEC summit in Honolulu a year ago.
According to summit documents seen by Reuters, the list
includes equipment used in generating power from renewable
energy sources such as the sun, wind and biomass; treating waste
water; recycling and environmental monitoring.
Breakthroughs are not expected on other trade issues at the
summit, which U.S. President Barack Obama is missing. He has
been attending the Democratic Party convention and Washington is
being represented by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The diverse nature of the Pacific-Rim economies has led some
APEC countries to join Washington in pushing for a new
free-trade deal called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Marantis said trade ministers from nine nations
participating in the TPP talks had met in Vladivostok and
affirmed their determination to move ahead at negotiations to be
hosted next week by the United States in Leesburg, Virginia.
But China, the world's second-largest economy, is not a
party to the process and Russia - which has only just joined the
World Trade Organisation - says it is not ready to look at
joining the TPP.
