President Truong Tan Sang has called on APEC enterprises to enhance their corporate social responsibility, continue supporting economies and people in boosting sustainable, inclusive development and improving self-reliance capacity.

Speaking to about 1,200 leading businesses at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum CEO Summit in Manila, the Philippines, on November 17, the President asked the firms to take corporate social responsibility as a guideline for development and see sustainability as a leading factor in creative renovation.

Businesses should expand models of green production, investment, tourism and supply chains, while strengthening technology transfer as well as technology application to assist communities and economies in improving forecast, response and recovery capacity after shocks and natural disasters, he said.

The President noted that the Asia-Pacific region is on a turning point with shared interest for a community of peace, stability, development and prosperity. Shaping free trade deals are also creating impetus for the region in maintaining its role as a driving force for the global connectivity and development, he added.

He held that APEC is facing a number of challenges during the implementation of sustainable and inclusive growth targets, including the issues related to the building of an environment of peace and stability for development, together with the slowing down of some leading economies, as well as poverty, development gap, climate change and natural disaster.

He mentioned conditions for the successful implementation of the goal, including efforts to reduce poverty and narrow the development gap among economies, with more attention to vulnerable groups and sustainable social welfare.

He underscored the importance of enhancing people’s capacity through building high-quality education and advanced technology as well as sustainable agriculture and strengthened institutional reform.

Regarding Vietnam’s economic outlook, President Truong Tan Sang noted that the country is accelerating institutional and administrative reforms, bettering legal system and improving domestic business environment.

With the conclusion of negotiations for four free trade agreements in 2015, Vietnam has become an important connection point for many regional and global production and value chains.

Vietnam , as the host of the APEC Year 2017, will continue walking hand in hand with other APEC members in increasing sustainable development, he pledged.

During the event, participants spoke highly of positive outcomes that Vietnam has made during its intensive renovation, economic restructuring, macro-economy stablising and growth maintenance.

They expressed their belief that with the active international integration and the joining of new generations of free trade agreements, Vietnam would continue to be an attractive destination for them.

The firms vowed that they will strengthen business operations and investment in Vietnam to take advantages of new cooperation opportunities.

At the same time, they made a number of recommendations to the Vietnamese leader on measures and policies to create more favourable conditions for investors in Vietnam.

Theme “Creating the Future: Better, Stronger, Together,” the APEC CEO Summit runs from November 16-18, focusing on major issues impacting development prospects of the region, including the geopolitical and economic challenges as well as problems in urbanisation, regional connectivity trend, and the role of health care and education in growth, creative innovation and starts-up.

VNA