Keynote Address - International Symposium on the Preparation for APEC Viet Nam 2006

Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to address this important International Symposium on the Preparation for APEC Viet Nam 2006. I would like to take this occasion to warmly welcome all of you to Viet Nam for this event and hope to receive you again during the Year of APEC Viet Nam 2006. Your participation and contribution is of great value to not only Viet Nam as the host economy but also to all APEC members as the beneficiaries of APEC development and prosperity.

This Symposium is important as it represents an opportunity for us to discuss in depth and details the current progress and future of APEC and exchange ideas on how to increase the relevance of APEC. We can also examine the possibility of accelerating the APEC process and its overall goals, through Viet Nam's leadership in 2006, in trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, ECOTECH, as well as a secure and safe business environment in the interest of our community and stakeholders. These discussions will give us creative ideas and useful suggestions to sort out the potential theme, sub-theme, and priorities of APEC next year.

This Symposium is also the first of a series of APEC meetings to be held in Viet Nam in 2006, a year of many significant events. To APEC as a whole, the year 2006 is the milestone of its development process in three meanings: first, it marks the completion of APEC half-way towards the Bogor Goals; second, it may witness the introduction of the possible design of policy orientation for the rest half-way; and thirdly, it marks the possible fulfilment of the APEC goals in reducing obstacles and promoting trade facilitation through the reduction of transaction cost by 5%. To Viet Nam domestically, 2006 is the year of the 10th Party's Congress from which the coming 5-year development policy and orientation for Viet Nam in all aspects will come to inception.

Vietnam, despite many recent difficulties and obstacle in development as well as changes in the world economy, has been able to maintain sustainable growth in many fields and made great strides. Viet Nam has been recognized as the fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia and the world's second fastest (after China) with the average growth rate of 7.5% over the past 10 years. Apart from high and sustained economic growth rates, secure and stable society, we have made great achievements in poverty reduction. Over the past decade, Vietnam poverty rate has reduced by half, and more significantly in the last five years, from 17.2% (2.8 million households) in 2001 to 8.3% (1.44 million households) in 2004. Being fully aware of the threats and severe impacts caused by avian influenza to economic, social development and human health, the Vietnamese Government has done its most in successfully preventing, controlling and fighting the epidemic over the past two years. Viet Nam is acknowledged by tourists and other relevant international organizations as a secured and safe destination.

Last but not least, since the introduction of the Renovation and Open-door Policy along the line with the integration policy over the past 20 years, Viet Nam has become the active member of international and regional cooperative institutes and currently in the final stage of WTO accession negotiation. On behalf of the Government of Viet Nam, I wish to take this opportunity to extend the most sincere thanks to APEC member economies for the strong support for Viet Nam's early accession to the WTO. My thanks also come to many member economies that do not request WTO-accession bilateral negotiations or have concluded bilateral negotiations with Viet Nam.

As the youngest member of APEC, Vietnam has spared no effort to actively participate in and contribute to implementing the Bogor Goals, narrowing the gap among APEC members, striving for common prosperity in the region while taking into consideration the APEC's principles of voluntarism, flexibility and consensus.

I am of the view that the APEC process has been progressing this year under the leadership of the Republic of Korea with the theme of "Toward a community: Meet the Challenge, Make the Change". Viet Nam will take over the responsibility of the host economy from the Republic of Korea at the end of this year. We will, therefore, keep on striving to solve the challenges facing APEC and making better changes for our community. We will also commit to what have been pursued by APEC's previous host economies, specifically the 3 major frames. First, towards the completion of Bogor Goals of which trade and investment liberalization, facilitation, ECOTECH are three pillars. Second, setting up and securing sustainable and safe business environment covering health security, natural disaster response and prevention, energy security, anti-corruption, IT, IPR, etc. Third, the prospect of one economic community in the Asia-Pacific region.

To this end, Viet Nam's significant view is to identify the theme, sub-themes, and priorities for APEC 2006 that have to be reflective of the continuity in substance, relevant to the regional context as well as the international trends, value-added to APEC process while following the APEC's basic principles. By doing so, we would vitalize the image of a dynamic, cooperative, developed and forward-looking APEC. I am confident that our two-day Symposium will come to fruitful conclusion that can serve as inputs to APEC 2006.

To conclude, I declare this International Symposium on Preparation for APEC-Viet Nam 2006 open and wish you success in achieving the goals set to the event. I do hope that all of you will have a pleasant stay and take back good memories of Ha Noi and Viet Nam.

Thank you very much for your attention.