Fourth Secure Trade in the Asia-Pacific Region (STAR IV) Conference

His Excellency Mr. Truong Dinh Tuyen, Minister for Trade,
Mr. Chair,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to address this 4th Conference on Secure Trade in the APEC region (STAR) - one of the most prominent events in the early APEC 2006 in Viet Nam. On behalf of the APEC Senior Officials, I would like to welcome you all to the Conference. Your large participation highlights the importance of the Conference to the implementation of the STAR initiative and the APEC process as a whole.

As you may recall, at the 10th APEC Summit in 2002 in Mexico, the APEC Leaders adopted the STAR initiative with an aim to secure and enhance the flow of goods and people in the region. By adopting the initiative, the APEC members have affirmed their determination to fight against various security threats to the region's economic growth. As one of the greatest threats to global economies, terrorism has now turned to be an issue of great concern to all the governments as well as the business community. As a result, protecting people, shipping lanes, international aviation and cargo from terrorist attacks are among key issues in the STAR Conference agenda. Since its launching in 2002, there have been three consecutive STAR conferences in Thailand, Chile and South Korea. Though just at the early stage, the STAR process has reached encouraging outcomes by working out specific measures to enhance shipping, aviation security, supply chain security in the region. For example, APEC members have agreed to conduct one MANPADS assessment of a major international airport, implement Advance Passenger Information (API) and Advance Passenger Procedure (APP), and begin to realize the Total Supply Chain Security initiative. Such efforts are critical to establish a robust but safer and securer business environment in the region. Through cooperative projects under the STAR framework, APEC member economies could assist each other in enhancing capacity in this area. In addition, improved security environment is increasing flows of people across borders which helps enhance mutual understanding, knowledge and friendliness among members.

However, the STAR process has also produced an undesired outcome, that is the APEC business sector's concern over increasing costs incurred by additional security measures. At the 2004 meeting in Chile, the APEC Ministers noted such concerns by underscoring the need to secure trade while removing obstacles to trade and minimizing costs on businesses. Thus, a big question to the implementation of the STAR initiative is how to secure people and cargo in movement while not undermining efforts for trade facilitation. In other words, that is how to enable investors to travel and circulate easily their legitimate money across borders while having capacity to hamper terrorists and flow of terrorist finances. We, therefore, have to ensure that government's security measures work well with business needs.

We believe the right answer to that question should be a closer involvement of business community in the STAR process. In that sense, at the 2005 Meeting in Korea, the APEC Ministers stressed the need to strengthen public-private partnerships in taking measures to secure trade. That is also the reason why we are gathering here to address the Conference under the theme "Enhancing the Public-Private partnerships in the implementation of secure trade measures". Our priority will be given to promoting participation of private sector in the implementation of the STAR initiatives to make sure that both government and business community are the beneficiaries of the process. On the agenda, we are also focusing on a wide range of topics from measures to ensure air, maritime transport security, to efforts aimed at building capacity of member economies. Such topics will be presented in different aspects by a wide range of distinguished government officials, academic researchers, and business representatives.

I am convinced that the 4th Conference will serve as a good exchange forum for government policy-makers and business executives to share their views, experiences and proposals to define both obstacles and solutions to APEC's twin goals of ensuring security and promoting trade facilitation. For the business community, the Conference provides a good opportunity to raise their voices as well as inputs to the government policies that have impact on their business.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As you know, the APEC Viet Nam 2006 takes place under the theme "Towards a Dynamic Community for Sustainable Development and Prosperity", with one of its priorities is to improve secure and favorable business environment. Thus, I do hope you will provide new ideas and thoughts that reflect the 4th STAR Conference agenda as well as the mentioned theme and priority. It is sure that the Conference's conclusions will be taken into careful consideration at the Senior Official Meetings. There is no doubt that the STAR Conference's priorities have now become an integral part of APEC's agenda towards achievement of the Bogor's Goals. Accordingly, your valuable inputs will contribute to the success of not only the Conference, but the APEC Viet Nam 2006 and the APEC process as a whole.

I wish the Conference great success,

Thank you for your attention!