Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh 

He affirmed that hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Year 2017 was a priority in Vietnam’s external policy with an aim of strengthening the country’s international integration and enhancing multilateral external relations.

“During the APEC Week in Lima, Peru, along with bilateral meetings, member economies and the business community showed strong support for the APEC 2017 in Vietnam. They agreed with Vietnam’s proposal for the event’s theme of “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future” as well as plan for holding activities throughout the year,” he said.

“This reflects their hope for new momentum helping APEC recover its economic and trade growth, expanding cooperation to new areas and deepening regional connections and meeting development demands of member economies. APEC members also focused on building a post-2020 APEC vision, improving the status of the forum, while fostering partnerships with Vietnam,” he stated.

The Deputy PM said that Vietnam’s won trust thanks to the country’s achievements during its renewal process and its contributions to the forum in past years. Vietnam’s external policy of independence and self-reliance and successful organisation of APEC Year 2006 were also lauded by members, he said.

The Deputy PM underscored that the APEC Year 2017 would show Vietnam’s strategic vision for the changing Asia-Pacific region and the country’s multilateral external relations’ growth.

The Vietnamese delegation led by President Tran Dai Quang attended the 24th APEC Week in Lima, Peru from November 14-20, with the theme "Quality Growth and Human Development", focusing on promoting the four main priorities: regional economic links and quality growth; the regional food market; modernization of microenterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises; and human resource development.

At the event, leaders of member economies highlighted their determination to boost the liberalisation of trade and investment and to improve growth quality and people’s development. Amid the current difficult situation, this is a message of significant meaning, showing the pioneering role of the APEC in trade and investment liberalisation.

At the same time, participants reached a new step forwards in fostering regional connectivity through the adoption of two documents – the Lima Declaration on Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) and the roadmap for improving service competitiveness that aims at a 6.8 percent rise annually of APEC’s service growth. The outcomes are expected to create momentum for the growth of service trade, raising labour productivity.

The 25th APEC Summit Week (2017) is scheduled to take place in November in the coastal city of Da Nang with the "Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future”. This is the central event of Vietnam's foreign affairs next year, expressing Vietnam's desire to actively contribute to the APEC process, to the growth and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.

At the 24th APEC Summit in Peru, Vietnam made worthy contributions as the host country of APEC Year 2017. APEC members confirmed their continued support and close coordination with Vietnam for the success of the APEC Year 2017.

Minh Tam