Attending the dialogue were APEC economic leaders along with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Lao President Bounnhang Volachith and Myanmar State Advisor Aung San Suu Kyi.

2017 is the year that both APEC and ASEAN are preparing for a major transition: APEC is poised to enter the fourth decade of development and building a vision for the period after 2020; ASEAN is in its 50th anniversary and is actively implementing the Vision of the ASEAN Community to 2025.

The dialogue thus reflected the desire to together create a new impetus for regional links and responding effectively to common challenges. At the same time, the dialogue outlined the expectations and shared vision of the leaders in building a comprehensive Asia-Pacific connectivity for peace, stability, cooperation, development and prosperity.

President Tran Dai Quang affirmed that APEC and ASEAN are two successful regional integration mechanisms, which lead the way in promoting regional economic growth and linkages. APEC is the region's leading economic cooperation forum and the ideal nursery for the future. ASEAN has made important contributions to turning Southeast Asia from confrontation to dialogue, from suspicion to cooperation, from division to solidarity and association, with the formation of the ASEAN Community as the peak.

As the Chairman of ASEAN, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte affirmed that APEC is the originator of the ideas and dynamics of regional economic growth and integration. He highly appreciated the initiative of Vietnam on holding the dialogue between APEC and ASEAN in order to closely connect the vision of APEC economic leaders and ASEAN leaders.

On the basis of a shared vision of a fully integrated Asia-Pacific, APEC and Asean leaders discussed and proposed many proposals for increased cooperation and complementarity between the two policies in facing common challenges and building a sustainable, transparent and highly adaptable regional economic structure.

Leaders highlighted the potential for cooperation between the two, including trade and investment, comprehensive human connectivity, infrastructure and institutions, supply chains, value chains, the development of micro, small and medium sized enterprises, human resources development, response to climate change ...

The two sides updated the implementation of economic integration initiatives, including the Free Trade Area of Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Transpacific Partnership (TPP).

Nguyen Thanh