Vietnam is strongly committed to join efforts with APEC to speed up the liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment.

State President Truong Tan Sang made this statement at the 19 th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Nov. 13 (local time).

Speaking highly of APEC’s outcomes on promoting regional economic connectivity, Sang affirmed that Vietnam is determined to continue reforms, engage in comprehensive global integration and exert itself to restructure the economy, stabilise the macro-economy and curb inflation.

Sang asked APEC member economies to make positive contributions to global economic restructuring and financial reform, strengthen multilateral trade systems, and drastically strive to soon conclude the Doha negotiation round with balanced results, to achieve the development goals.

APEC needs to give priority to cooperative programmes in order to narrow development gap as well as facilitate technological transfer, human resource training, infrastructure development, poverty reduction and increasing regional connectivity, especially in building the ASEAN Community, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and sub-Mekong regional cooperation, Sang said.

Regarding energy security, Sang said that Vietnam always attaches importance to effective use of energy and energy security and has adopted policy of rapid growth in combination with sustainable development and environmental protection.

The State leader suggested APEC member economies strengthen policy coordination and cooperation in energy efficiency and energy security, particularly in populous areas and areas with major production facilities, improve transport systems in an environmentally friendly manner, develop renewable energy and enable access to clean technologies.

He also asked member economies to strengthen contributions to the United Nations’ efforts and cooperative programmes which are underway in the region, including ASEAN projects and the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation.

At a Dialogue with the APEC Business Advisory Council on the same day, Sang and APEC leaders held discussions with representatives of regional businesses on issues of concern such as regional economic connectivity, sustainable development, the creation of favourable conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises and job generation.

On the afternoon of the same day, Sang left Hawaii’s capital city of Honolulu, concluding his activities within the framework of the 19 th APEC Leaders’ Meeting./.