The Vietnamese President said that the 24th APEC Summit in Peru closed successfully, in which Vietnam made worthy contributions as the host country of the APEC Year 2017. APEC members all confirmed that they will continue to support and closely coordinate with Vietnam for the success of the APEC Year 2017.

He said that the host of APEC Year 2017 represents the high credibility of the international community for Vietnam, affirms the strategic vision of Vietnam on the future of Asia - Pacific. It is an honor but also a great responsibility of Vietnam in joining member economies to make efforts to make APEC Year 2017 a year of the ongoing development process of APEC, promoting the trends of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

He affirmed that in a globalized world of volatile changes, the Asia - Pacific continues to be a region of dynamic development, with increasingly important economic-political location in the world. As a country located on the west bank of the Pacific, the development of Vietnam today and in the future is closely connected to this large and potential region.

For that reason, 18 years ago, in 1998, Vietnam joined APEC – the forum that today represents 39% of the world population, contributes 57% of GDP and 49% of global trade. This region is the home to the most important partners of Vietnam in development cooperation, trade, investment as well as in many other areas. In 2006, Vietnam successfully assumed the role of the host country of APEC Summit and it was highly appreciated by other APEC members and international friends.

"The APEC Year 2017, with the theme "Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future”, will do our best to join other members to strongly boost the completion of the Bogor Goals of free trade and investment by 2020; and jointly build the regional integration vision of a new stage of development. This is an important platform for the creation of the Asia - Pacific Partnership for sustainable development in the 21st century,” he said.

Also, APEC Year 2017 will be a practical opportunity to contribute to the successful implementation of the key tasks that the 12th National Party Congress set out, to promote uniform, comprehensive reform process, to develop Vietnam into an industrialized and modern country, and firmly protect the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, improving the position and prestige of our country in the international arena.

“With abundant and diverse activities of the APEC Year that will be held on a national scale, we will have an unprecedented opportunity to improve the capacity of integration of localities and enterprises of Vietnam, contributing to economic development in all areas", President Tran Dai Quang said.

The President called for the active participation of the entire political system, the authorities at all levels and all agencies, the business community as well as the support and help of the people to the APEC Year 2017 so that members of APEC and international friends will deeply fee that Vietnam is a country of peace, stability and dynamic development and the Vietnamese people are friendly and hospitable.

The 24th APEC Summit was a great success, through the Declaration of the APEC leaders with the "Lima Declaration on the Free Trade Area of Asia-Pacific" and "The Roadmap for Competitiveness in the Service Sector".

On November 20 evening (local time), the President, his wife and the Vietnamese high-level delegation left Lima, Peru, for Vietnam, finishing the visit to Peru for the 24th APEC Summit Week from November 17 to 20.

Minh Tam