President Tran Dai Quang and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Dialogue (Source: VNA)Da Nang (VNA) - Leadersof APEC and ASEAN welcomed Vietnam’s initiative to host the APEC AND ASEAN Leaders’Informal Dialogue and considered it a vivid testament of the will anddetermination of their respective members in reinforcing a comprehensivelyintegrated and inter-connected Asia-Pacific for peace, stability, dynamism andprosperity.
On the occasion of the 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, the APECand ASEAN Informal Dialogue, themed “Partneringfor New Dynamism for a Comprehensively Connected and Integrated Asia-Pacific”, was held for the first time on November 10 in the central city of Da Nang.
The Dialogue was chaired by Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, Chair of the2017 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, with the participation of the APEC and ASEANLeaders.
It aimed at providing freshimpetus to cooperation and integration in the Asia Pacific at a time when theregion is at a critical juncture with profound changes. Apart from thechallenges of slowing integration and the risks facing regional growth in themedium and long term, there are emerging positive trends that present theAsia-Pacific with significant opportunities, including the Fourth IndustrialRevolution.
Inspired by a shared vision for acomprehensively connected and integrated Asia-Pacific, the APEC and ASEANLeaders exchanged views on the urgent need and measures to strengtheningcooperation and synergies between the two mechanisms in addressing commonchallenges and reinforcing a sustainable, transparent and highly-adaptableregional economic architecture.
They highlighted various areas of potential cooperation, including trade andinvestment; promotion of physical, institutional and people-to-peopleconnectivity; supply chains connectivity, global value chains; globalisation ofmicro, small and medium enterprises, human resources development, andaddressing climate change, among others.
The two sides also provided updates on the implementation of the relevantregional economic integration initiatives, including the Free Trade Area of theAsia-Pacific (FTAAP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
The Dialogue bears specialsignificance as APEC will soon enter its fourth decade in less than two yearsand is preparing for a post-2020 vision while ASEAN is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and redoubling efforts to realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.
Given the respective achievements of APEC and ASEAN in promoting regionalintegration over the past several decades, the two mechanisms are expected tocontinue to promote the Asia-Pacific's role as a driver of global growth andintegration.-VNA
VNA
