The 23rd APEC Foreign-Economic Ministerial Meeting took place inHonolulu, Hawaii, the US on Nov. 11, within the framework of theAPEC Summit Week.
Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Industry and Trade Minister Vu Huy Hoang led the Vietnamese delegation to the event.
Addressingthe function, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said the world and regionare entering a new period with both challenges and opportunities.
Cooperation processes have seen significant developments in a morepractical and concerted manner, he said, proposing the building of asustainable regional structure in conformity with the changes anddiversity of the region, strengthening the settlement of traditional andnon-traditional security challenges to meet the common goals of peace,sustainability and development in the region.
The FM also stressed that in a shaping regional structure, the central role of ASEAN is very important.
Ministersat the meeting discussed issues important to the region, especiallyimproving regional cooperation in the new context, boosting economicgrowth, creating favourable conditions for SME development, coping withnatural disasters and open management.
The ministers held dialogues with enterprises on matters of mutual interests.
Theministers held that APEC cooperation in 2011 has achieved practicalresults, especially in intensifying regional economic linkage, newcontents and challenges in trade, green growth and coping with naturaldisasters.
They agreed to boost the implementation of BogorGoals, create more favorable conditions for SMEs, expand the globalsupply chain, promote innovation policy, strengthen public-privatepartnership and put forth specific measures to soon conclude the Dohanegotiations.
At a session on natural calamities, FMMinh said natural disasters and climate change are becoming an urgentissue, especially in Asia-Pacific, which have to suffer from 70 percentof the world’s calamities.
He supported APEC’s view thathuman security, especially coping with urgent situations, is one of thecooperative priorities.
The Vietnamese FM asked APEC topay attention to raising community’s awareness, cooperation in searescue and encouraging enterprises’ involvement.
TheMinisters adopted the meeting’s declaration and six attached documents,and statements on coping with natural disasters in Asia-Pacific, openmanagement and economic growth, and WTO, Doha negotiations and antiprotectionism.
The same day, Foreign Minister PhamBinh Minh and Industry and Trade Minister Vu Huy Hoang held bilateralmeetings with their counterparts from the US, Australia, New Zealand,Malaysia, Thailand and Mexico.
The ministers agreedthat it is necessary to make more efforts to deepen bilateral ties,increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, boost economic-tradecooperation and collaborate on regional and international issues ofmutual concerns within the framework of multilateral cooperation likeAPEC./.