The press conference following the closing of APEC SOM 3 in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – The third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting(SOM3) and related meetings wrapped up in Ho Chi Minh City on August 30 after 13days of working.
Addressing a press conference the same day, Deputy Minister of ForeignAffairs Bui Thanh Son, APEC 2017 SOM Chair, said the SOM3 and related meetingshas the largest scale in the APEC Year 2017 with nearly 80 meetings and 3,000delegates, including ministers, deputy ministers of APEC member economies, andrepresentatives from APEC observers, international organisations andbusinesses.
He reviewed the SOM3, the High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy,the Symposium on Promoting Economic, Financial and Social Inclusion in APEC andthe SOM Dialogue on Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs)/Free Trade Agreements(FTAs) in HCM City, along with the Food Security Week and the High-Level PolicyDialogue on Enhancing Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in response toClimate Change in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.
The SOM3 and related meetings took place in the context of brightprospects for global and regional economy and trade, Son said, noting that theregional economic growth rate is forecast to surpass that of the globaleconomy.
However, the widening development gaps between economies and within each economyand the occurrence of non-traditional security challenges such as naturaldisasters, diseases, population aging and climate change require the APEC tomaintain its growth rate while strengthening its cooperation as well asconnectivity to benefit people and businesses more practically.
The meetings mulled over a range of issues, from human resourcesdevelopment and structural reform to support for small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs), anti-corruption, natural disaster response and businessenvironment improvement.
According to Son, the APEC economies affirmed their determination tobring pragmatic and specific interests to each economy, community and thebusiness circle.
Therefore, inclusive growth was debated at meetings of APEC committeesand groups, covering economy, finance and society.
Vietnam’s initiative to organise the Symposium on Promoting Economic,Financial and Social Inclusion in APEC has received support and activeparticipation of other APEC member economies and international organisations,Son said.
This is also the first of its kind held by the APEC in an effort tocombine policies and actions of its committees and working groups, he added,stressing that the symposium underlined the need to develop an APEC action planon inclusive growth which sets forth specific norms, inter-sectoral solutionsand measures to improve legal and institutional capacity to boost inclusivegrowth.
Outcomes of the seventh High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy andthe Food Security Week and the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Enhancing FoodSecurity and Sustainable Agriculture in response to Climate Change have alsosignificantly contributed to the APEC’s goal of economic, financial and social inclusion,the APEC SOM Chair said.
He said the delegates sought measures to increase finance for the healthsector, expand the medical network, narrow urban-rural development gaps andfacilitate the operation of small-scale enterprisesin the farming sector.
The APEC economies were resolved to boost regional trade liberalisationandinvestment in rural areas through the implementation of Bogor Goals by 2020 anddiscussed how to prepare for the post-2020 APEC Vision, Son said.
He stressed the need for the APEC member economies to continue exchangeexperience and improve capacity to maximise the RTAs and FTAs, especiallydeveloping economies, in order to accelerate the negotiation, signing andimplementation of the deals.
The APEC senior officials approved three important documents, includingthe Framework on Cross-border E-commerce Facilitation, the Best Practices on PromotingSupporting Industries in Asia-Pacific Region, and the Monitoring Framework on the Supply-ChainConnectivity Framework ActionPlan(SCFAP II).
Such outcomes have not only satisfied the interests ofthe APEC member economies and businesses but also met Vietnam’s socio-economicdevelopment requirements, including those in sustainable development withpeople as the centre, Son said.
The delegates also talked aboutpreparations for the APEC Leaders’ Week scheduled for November in the central city of Da Nang, and other APEC meetings inthe time ahead, he added.-VNA
Addressing a press conference the same day, Deputy Minister of ForeignAffairs Bui Thanh Son, APEC 2017 SOM Chair, said the SOM3 and related meetingshas the largest scale in the APEC Year 2017 with nearly 80 meetings and 3,000delegates, including ministers, deputy ministers of APEC member economies, andrepresentatives from APEC observers, international organisations andbusinesses.
He reviewed the SOM3, the High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy,the Symposium on Promoting Economic, Financial and Social Inclusion in APEC andthe SOM Dialogue on Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs)/Free Trade Agreements(FTAs) in HCM City, along with the Food Security Week and the High-Level PolicyDialogue on Enhancing Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in response toClimate Change in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.
The SOM3 and related meetings took place in the context of brightprospects for global and regional economy and trade, Son said, noting that theregional economic growth rate is forecast to surpass that of the globaleconomy.
However, the widening development gaps between economies and within each economyand the occurrence of non-traditional security challenges such as naturaldisasters, diseases, population aging and climate change require the APEC tomaintain its growth rate while strengthening its cooperation as well asconnectivity to benefit people and businesses more practically.
The meetings mulled over a range of issues, from human resourcesdevelopment and structural reform to support for small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs), anti-corruption, natural disaster response and businessenvironment improvement.
According to Son, the APEC economies affirmed their determination tobring pragmatic and specific interests to each economy, community and thebusiness circle.
Therefore, inclusive growth was debated at meetings of APEC committeesand groups, covering economy, finance and society.
Vietnam’s initiative to organise the Symposium on Promoting Economic,Financial and Social Inclusion in APEC has received support and activeparticipation of other APEC member economies and international organisations,Son said.
This is also the first of its kind held by the APEC in an effort tocombine policies and actions of its committees and working groups, he added,stressing that the symposium underlined the need to develop an APEC action planon inclusive growth which sets forth specific norms, inter-sectoral solutionsand measures to improve legal and institutional capacity to boost inclusivegrowth.
Outcomes of the seventh High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy andthe Food Security Week and the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Enhancing FoodSecurity and Sustainable Agriculture in response to Climate Change have alsosignificantly contributed to the APEC’s goal of economic, financial and social inclusion,the APEC SOM Chair said.
He said the delegates sought measures to increase finance for the healthsector, expand the medical network, narrow urban-rural development gaps andfacilitate the operation of small-scale enterprisesin the farming sector.
The APEC economies were resolved to boost regional trade liberalisationandinvestment in rural areas through the implementation of Bogor Goals by 2020 anddiscussed how to prepare for the post-2020 APEC Vision, Son said.
He stressed the need for the APEC member economies to continue exchangeexperience and improve capacity to maximise the RTAs and FTAs, especiallydeveloping economies, in order to accelerate the negotiation, signing andimplementation of the deals.
The APEC senior officials approved three important documents, includingthe Framework on Cross-border E-commerce Facilitation, the Best Practices on PromotingSupporting Industries in Asia-Pacific Region, and the Monitoring Framework on the Supply-ChainConnectivity Framework ActionPlan(SCFAP II).
Such outcomes have not only satisfied the interests ofthe APEC member economies and businesses but also met Vietnam’s socio-economicdevelopment requirements, including those in sustainable development withpeople as the centre, Son said.
The delegates also talked aboutpreparations for the APEC Leaders’ Week scheduled for November in the central city of Da Nang, and other APEC meetings inthe time ahead, he added.-VNA
VNA
