Illustrative image (Source: VNA)A seminar discussing priority topics of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Year 2017 opened in Hanoi on December 8.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, who is also Chairman of the National Committee for APEC 2017, said after 30 years of renovation, Vietnam has made significant contributions to the APEC Forum and brought practical benefits to regional businesses and residents.
On the APEC’s next activities, Minh stressed the need to promote sustainable, creative and inclusive growth, saying that APEC’s agenda should focus on institutional reform.
He called for joint work to boost extensive regional integration and connectivity by grasping opportunities brought about by the ASEAN Community and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, among others.
More support should be given to micro and medium-sized enterprises to improve their competitiveness and enable them to join the global value chain, he said, noting great potential for cooperation in digital infrastructure since Asia-Pacific is home to the largest number of Internet subscribers globally.
On the occasion, he also called for attention to food security and sustainable agriculture, saying that the APEC needs to facilitate technology transfer and application to improve productivity and farmers’ skills, giving them better access to the markets and capital.
Peruvian Deputy Foreign Minister Luis Quesada, Chair of the 2016 APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting, stressed that Peru commits strong support to Vietnam as the host of APEC Year 2017 and its agenda.
The seminar attracted representatives from APEC member economies and APEC Secretariat as well as observers, scholars, and businesses at home and abroad./.