After Rain, APEC Leaders Seek Sunnier Horizons
The Leaders, Ministers and Senior Officials of the 21 APEC member economies have begun convening in Da Nang in a bid to sustain their turnaround in growth and job creation in the unsettled globalized environment, inspired by the people of the Vietnamese coastal host city and surrounding areas braving the effects of Typhoon Damrey.
The APEC Economic Leaders’ Week opened here on Monday under the theme “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future.” Senior Officials are commencing policy deliberations for keeping the momentum for regional economic integration and trade that is driving economic recovery in the Asia-Pacific.
The proceedings will culminate with decisions made at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on Saturday, to be chaired by Viet Nam President Tran Dai Quang, and Leaders’ preceding consultations with APEC Business Advisory Council members on Friday and remarks at the APEC CEO Summit on Wednesday through Friday.
The policy vision and implementation directives for APEC economies provided by Leaders will be complemented by joint actions launched during the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Wednesday, to be Co-Chaired by Viet Nam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, and Industry and Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh.
“As we Vietnamese say, ‘after the rain, the sun rises,’” explained Ambassador Bui Thanh Son, Chair of the Concluding APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting that will continue through Tuesday, drawing parallels between the typhoon and APEC’s efforts in Da Nang to ensure a lasting economic recovery. “Let us hope it will get better as our Ministers and Leaders arrive. Let us also send our thoughts and prayers for the safety of the people of the south-central provinces.”
“In my many interactions within APEC, one thing seems to converge and that is that this year has presented both difficulties and opportunities for our cooperation,” Ambassador Son continued. “The good thing is, even in face of such difficulties, we have managed to secure many important results, maintaining the momentum of cooperation.”
This includes stepped up collaboration in APEC to ease public concerns about who benefits from globalization and better position workers and businesses of all sizes, in all parts of the region, to navigate changes in market competition, automation and labor demand necessary to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and innovation driven world.
It also includes deepening collaboration between APEC economies to secure agriculture and food production in their region of three billion people, including millions whose livelihoods depend on the sustainability of the sector, in the face of climate change.
“We have greatly benefited from the active engagement and contributions of all member economies and other stakeholders to advance APEC priorities in our desired direction,” concluded Ambassador Son. “As we enter this final and crucial phase, I strongly urge that we continue to work constructively to deliver greater mutual benefit to our people and growth potential.”
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For further details, or to arrange possible media interviews, please contact:
David Hendrickson (in Da Nang) +65 9137 3886 at [email protected]
Michael Chapnick (in Da Nang) +65 9647 4847 at [email protected]
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