The upcoming 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Week in Vietnam is expected to become a milestone in the bloc's cooperation, bringing it closer to people and enterprises, a senior Vietnamese official has said.
Bui Thanh Son, Vietnamese vice minister of foreign affairs and vice chairman of the APEC 2017 National Committee, made the remarks in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua.
The APEC Economic Leaders' Week will be held in Vietnam's central city of Da Nang from Nov.6-11.
Vietnam has basically completed preparations for the event in terms of facilities, logistics, security, healthcare, among others, the official said.
After over 200 conferences, dialogues and meetings since late 2016, with the participation of nearly 9,000 foreign and Vietnamese delegates, APEC 2017 activities have gained positive and concrete initial results in various cooperation spheres, said Son.
Vietnam has promoted consensus among APEC members in many fields. "They include documents on human resource development in the digital era, sustainable tourism development, green, innovative and sustainable small and medium enterprises, urban-rural development, food security, startup facilitation, women and economy etc," Son noted.
The results have reflected APEC members' commitment to fostering cooperation, deepening and broadening linkage, and accelerating trade and open investment, said Son.
"All these results have been attached to realizing the four priorities of APEC Year 2017," he added.
The four priorities put forward by Vietnam included promoting sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth; deepening regional economic integration; strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises' competitiveness and innovation in the digital age; and enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture in response to climate change.
This year's APEC Economic Leaders' Week will be held under the theme "Creating Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future."
"The members' consensus on APEC Year 2017's theme and the priorities has reflected APEC's leading interest at present. It is creating new impulse for growth, integration and economic linkage of the Asia-Pacific region," Son said.
Son noted that global economic growth is still facing medium and long-term risks, and global economic linkage is slowing down. Against such backdrop, consensus among APEC members on the theme is a key requirement for reinforcing the bloc's role as a leading economic cooperation mechanism in the region, he said.
"As the Vietnamese saying 'Fire proves gold, adversity proves men,' I hope that results of the APEC (Economic) Leaders' Week will affirm determination of APEC leaders in keeping on fostering broadened and deepened cooperation, integration and linkage among members, contributing to building the peaceful, stable, dynamic, self-strengthening, close-knit and prosperous Asia-Pacific region," Son said.
In the run up to year 2020, which is the deadline for completing Bogor goals of free and open trade and investment among APEC economies, Son said "I hope that APEC economic leaders will share vision for the forum's future heading after 2020 and give instructions on preparatory steps to shape this future."
