He will be accompanied by DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Minister ofIndustry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang, who will attend the Foreign andEconomic Ministerial Meeting on November 7-8.
The idea of APECwas firstly introduced by former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawkeand was realised on November 6, 1989. With 21 member economies, APEC hasconvened 22 summits since 1993 and 26 foreign and economic ministerialmeetings.
Representing approximately 40 percent of the world’spopulation, 55 percent of global economic output and 44 percent oftotal trade, APEC aims to boost sustainable economic growth built on thethree pillars of trade and investment liberalisation, businessfacilitation, and economic-technological cooperation.
APECmaintains its status as the largest Asian-Pacific economic and tradecooperation mechanism by strengthening its links with the world’s valueand supply chains, and improving business climates.
Itsmembers, including developing and developed economies, are stronglydedicated to building a stable and prosperous Asian-Pacific community.
Under the banner of “Shaping the future through theAsia-Pacific Partnership”, the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meetingwill focus on issues on connectivity, the birth of a regional free tradearea, and emerging concerns in economic and trade collaboration. At theend of the event, two declarations by economic leaders and a jointstatement by ministers are expected to be adopted.
The meeting takes place at a time of escalating tension in a number of hot spots in the region.
The year 2014 marks the 25th founding anniversary of APEC and the 20th anniversary of the Bogor goals of liberalising and facilitatingtrade and investment. APEC member economies give top priority toregional economic linkages, innovation, economic reform and growth,regional connectivity and infrastructure improvements.
Vietnam, together with Russia and Peru, joined APEC in 1998, marking amilestone in pursuing a diplomatic policy guided by openness,diversification, multilateralisation and integration into the worldeconomy. During its new strategic period, Vietnam has regarded APEC asone of the most valued and utilised regional mechanisms for globalintegration.
Looking back over the past 16 years, Vietnam hasbecome an active player in APEC, chairing APEC in 2006 and hosting the14 th APEC Summit, the 18th APEC Foreign and Economic MinisterialMeeting and more than 100 events. Furthermore, Vietnam has strivedtowards the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific(FTAAP), and implemented the Hanoi action plan to achieve Bogor goals,and a number of reforms to create new momentum for APEC’s cooperation.
Vietnam has suggested and participated in 80 initiatives in anumber of areas, from trade, investment and health care, tocounter-terrorism and food security. The country has also held key postsin APEC, including Vice Chair of the Trade and Investment Committee in2006, Chair of the Working Group of Small and Medium-sized Enterprisesin 2006, Chair of the Budget Management Committee in 2007, Vice Chair ofthe Health Working Group for the 2009-2010 tenure, and Chair of theEmergency Preparedness Working Group for the 2012-2013 tenure.
The country also hosted the sixth APEC Ministerial Meeting on humanresources development and a public-private dialogue to address SME’sfunding difficulties. Nine initiatives will start next year, includingopening a centre for workforce development in Vietnam, creating a globalgarment value chain, boosting the support industries, implementingcommunity-based disaster management, and ensuring freedom in pricing foressential items.
Vietnam is also partnering with APEC member economies to host the 25 th APEC Economic Leader’s Meeting in 2017.-VNA