Leaders from 21 member countries of t he Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum issued a joint declaration on Nov. 13, following the APEC Leaders’ Week Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.
According to the “Honolulu Declaration - Toward a Seamless Regional Economy”, APEC leaders pledged to take concrete steps towards a seamless regional economy through joint efforts in order to link regional economies and markets, aiming to bring benefits to all.
The APEC leaders agreed to promote efforts for green growth, energy security, regulatory cooperation and other issues. They also committed to reducing tariffs for environmentally friendly commodities to below 5 percent by the end of 2015.
The joint declaration noted that free trade promotion is important for the global economic recovery process in the context of public debt crises in Europe.
The member economies also consented to speed up the transition toward a global low-carbon economy in a way that ensures energy security and creates new sources of economic growth and employment.
APEC 2012 is scheduled to take place in Russia./.