The hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum Year 2017 also affirms Vietnam’s wish to make more contributions to the building and shaping multilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the APEC, he said.

Son highlighted four expectations of Vietnam for the organisation of the event, including making the APEC cooperation more practical and effective with the completion of Bogor goals in trade and investment liberalisation.

Vietnam hopes to enhance the position of APEC as the leading economic cooperation forum pioneering in the formation of deep and wide regional linkages, fostering peace, stability, cooperation and development, he said.

The country also wishes to strengthen friendship and partnership with leading partners in the world, while promoting a Vietnam of renovation, dynamism, abundant potential and active integration, bringing development and exchange opportunities for regions, localities, businesses and locals, declared Son.

He held that through the APEC Year 2017, Vietnam will have a chance to learn more experience and increase public awareness of the forum.

Stressing benefits the APEC Year 2017’s activities will bring to localities, enterprises and locals, the Deputy FM said that as the host of the event, Vietnam expects to welcome tens of thousands of delegates to 200 activities across the country, opening up great chances for localities to attract visitors and advertise their products to APEC partners and world leading businesses.

Vietnamese enterprises, especially small and medium-sized ones, will have numerous opportunities to access a huge market of all member economies, link with potential strategic partners and enjoy favourable investment and businesses environment and travel conditions as well as advanced technology from top companies, he said.

Vietnamese people will also have more choices in employment, goods, services, health care, education and tourism thanks to programmes that APEC is implementing on people-to-people contact and tourism promotion, added Son.

To tap all chances, he urged localities nationwide to make good preparations, especially in infrastructure and workforce, while strengthening communications on the APEC 2017.

Regarding the outcomes of the recent informal APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting, the Deputy FM said that the event drew a crowd of participants, including hundreds of experts, scholars, business representatives and leaders of ministries and localities of Vietnam.

APEC member economies voiced their support for the orientation, theme and priorities of the APEC Year 2017. They include strengthening regional economic connectivity, fostering sustainable, creative and inclusive growth, supporting micro, small and medium firms and those led by women, and enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture.

Participants also agreed on a timetable of the APEC Year 2017, he said, adding that the highlight of the unofficial APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting was a dialogue with businesses from APEC economies.

The readiness of Vietnam in hosting the APEC Year 2017 was also felt by participants at the meeting, stated Son. 

He also said that the official website of the APEC Year 2017 has become operational at www.apec2017.vn.-VNA