By PNA and U.S. News Agency / Asian

A ministerial conference on the mining industry here Wednesday will be yet another one in a series of ministerial sessions.

The sessions began Sunday with a meeting of the Energy ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

The APEC ministers in charge of the mining industry are to discuss global trends on the markets of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, prospects for mounting demand for metals and raw materials.

The Ministers are to evaluate the state of the investment climate in APEC economies, exchange views on methods and means for a further intensification of the process of attracting investments in the mining sectors of the region.

The conference has drawn representatives of the APEC’s key ministries and agencies responsible for the mining industry and metallurgy. A Russian delegation will be headed by Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.

Big business executives, representatives of international organizations, the World Bank, the International research groups on copper, nickel, lead, and zinc, and the World Steel Association will also take part in the conference.