Asia-Pacific region
Background
The Asia-Pacific region, often abbreviated APAC and sometimes referred to as the Indo-Pacific, is a broad geopolitical and economic region adjoining the western Pacific Ocean. Its boundaries are not fixed and vary by context, but the term commonly includes East Asia, North Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, with South Asia sometimes included as well. In wider usage, it may also extend to parts of Central Asia, West Asia, and Pacific-facing countries in the Americas. The region is significant because it links major population centers, manufacturing hubs, energy markets, and maritime routes across the Pacific basin.
In international affairs, the Asia-Pacific is one of the main arenas for trade, investment, security planning, and diplomacy. It is frequently used in commerce, finance, and political analysis to describe the set of economies and states that are integrated through Pacific shipping, supply chains, and regional institutions. In Russian policy discussions, the region matters as a destination for exports and as a market connected to broader Eurasian and global energy flows. It also figures in strategic assessments because access to the region’s sea lanes and consumer markets affects both commercial policy and state relations.
The term became especially common from the late 1980s onward, reflecting growing economic integration around the Pacific. Its use overlaps with other regional frameworks, including “Asia-Pacific excluding Japan” in some business and policy contexts, and organizations such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, which includes economies from both Asia and the Americas. Recent references have highlighted the region’s role in global energy trade, including the movement of oil and gas through routes linked to the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz. In that context, the Asia-Pacific has remained a major destination for seaborne energy supplies and a key factor in Russian and international market calculations.
Timeline
Russia was urged to redirect its oil and gas exports toward the Asia-Pacific region from Europe.
Meeting on the Situation on the Global Oil and Gas Market
Documents
Meeting on the Situation on the Global Oil and Gas Market
Putin said the Middle East conflict is disrupting oil and gas markets, urged Russian firms to redirect exports from Europe, and told the government and central bank to monitor debt reduction.