APEC Ministerial Meeting opens in Beijing, China

On the afternoon of November 7, at the National Convention Center in Beijing, China, the 26th Foreign and Economic Ministers' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum solemnly opened.

Opening of APEC Ministerial Meeting 2014

The conference was co-chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng. The foreign ministers and economic ministers of 21 member economies attended. The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Chairman of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), the two co-chairs of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), the Secretary-General of ASEAN, and representatives of the Pacific Islands Forum were invited to attend as guests of the conference. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh led the Vietnamese delegation to the conference.

Speaking at the opening session, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized the special significance of this year's conference. With the theme "Shaping the Future through Asia-Pacific Partnership", it marks the 25th anniversary of the formation and development of the APEC Forum and 20 years of implementing the Bogor Goals. The achievements of the APEC Forum have made an important contribution to the dynamic development and promotion of the role of the entire Asia-Pacific region.

Immediately after the Opening Session, the First Plenary Session took place. The Ministers affirmed that in just 25 years, APEC has achieved many remarkable achievements, demonstrating its role as a leading economic cooperation forum in the region and the world, gathering most of the region's dynamic economies.

The Forum has grown strongly, with great potential for cooperation, with the number of members increasing from 13 to 21, representing 40% of the population, contributing 55% of GDP and 44% of global trade. With increasingly deep cooperation, APEC has always been at the forefront of promoting trade and investment facilitation and liberalization, free trade agreements, regional connectivity, etc.

The conference agreed that in the new situation, it is necessary to continue to increase cooperation to maintain peace and stability in the region, promote cooperation in the spirit of mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The Ministers proposed many important measures to enhance comprehensive connectivity, develop infrastructure, promote sustainable development, respond to global challenges, especially natural disasters, and fight corruption...

Speaking at the Conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh emphasized that the formation and development of the APEC Forum has historical significance and strategic importance, contributing to promoting the trend of multi-level cooperation and connectivity as well as the shift of economic and political power from the West to the East and enhancing the role of Asia-Pacific as the driving force of global economic growth.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh speaks at the opening session.

The Deputy Prime Minister suggested that in the new period, APEC cooperation and linkages need to be closely linked and aim for sustainable development goals, focusing on reducing development gaps, ensuring social security, poverty reduction, gender equality and responding to global challenges. APEC also needs to continue to attach importance to the economic and technical cooperation pillar (ECOTECH), support capacity building for developing members and take into account the development level of member economies in implementing cooperation.

The Deputy Prime Minister highly appreciated and asked members to continue to actively support sub-regional and regional linkage and connectivity programs, including efforts to build the ASEAN Community, implement the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, and programs to narrow the development gap between mainland ASEAN and the Mekong sub-region.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed that Vietnam will continue to work with other members to enhance regional connectivity and promote the Forum's position in a peaceful, stable, dynamic and prosperous Asia-Pacific.

Deputy Prime Minister talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry

APEC Forum is one of the most important multilateral cooperation mechanisms of our country.

At the 6th APEC Summit in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, Vietnam became an APEC member and has since then always played an active role with many contributions and initiatives. The highlight of the past 16 years has been our country’s successful hosting of APEC Year 2006, with many results and Vietnam’s mark in the hearts of international friends. Our ministries, sectors and enterprises have also actively participated in committees, working groups and the APEC Business Advisory Council, chairing many cooperation programs in the fields of economics - trade, customs, disaster response, aviation security, health, etc.

Last September, the 6th APEC Ministerial Meeting on Human Resources Development was successfully held in Hanoi, approving the “APEC Roadmap for Human Resources Development in the 2015-2018 period”. The fact that our country is actively preparing to host APEC Year 2017 vividly demonstrates Vietnam’s proactive contribution to the common concerns of the Forum and the Asia-Pacific region.

According to VOV