A gathering of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum kicked off Sunday in the port city of Vladivostok, Russia, to chart pathways for closer economic ties and promote "green growth" within the region.

Senior officials from Pacific Rim economies engaged in final talks to coordinate positions on key areas ahead of a two-day meeting starting Wednesday, with the annual event culminating in a summit next weekend.

While Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is planning to attend the summit, he is not expected to announce Japan's participation in multinational talks on forging the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, due in part to internal politics.