State President Truong Tan Sang will attend the 19 th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in Hawaii , the US from Nov. 10-13 at the invitation of US President Barack Obama.

Vietnam ’s participation in this APEC meeting reflects the 11 th Party Congress foreign policy of proactively promoting intensive and comprehensive international integration and continuing to play an important role in Asia-Pacific regional cooperation frameworks, including APEC.

This will also be a chance for Vietnam to take advantage of suitable APEC programmes in an effort to stabilise the macro-economy, serve socio-economic development goals and renew the growth model.

The APEC meeting will offer an opportunity for Vietnam to boost political, trade and investment relations with regional partners, while helping to deepen ties between Vietnam and other APEC members through the exchange of information on the socio-economic situation as well as on the guidelines and policies of Vietnam .

With the theme, “Strengthening regional economic connectivity and expanding trade”, the 19 th APEC Leaders’ Meeting will focus on three areas of priority, namely regional economic connectivity and trade expansion; green growth and advancing regulatory cooperation and convergence.

Cooperation on the technical economy and human security will be discussed at ministerial meetings and senior officials meetings (SOMs).

Economic experts said that in the context of global economic difficulties, the strengthening of trade and cooperation in solving economic issues to overcome crisis will open up new opportunities for all APEC members to boost their economic development.

Established in 1989 and with 18 summits held, APEC is now the largest economic trade cooperation group in the Asia-Pacific region. It includes 21 member economies and accounts for 40 percent of the global population, 55 percent of GDP and 44 percent of world trade.

APEC is actively speeding up efforts to strengthen the efficiency of cooperation and improve its role in the world economic restructuring process, especially in the face of the emergence of other regional mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement and G20.

Since it joined APEC in November 1998, Vietnam has been an active and responsible member of the organisation. The success of APEC Year 2006 hosted by Vietnam has left good impressions on APEC members.

Vietnam has made contributions to building APEC cooperation contents, strategies and action plans in all fields and seriously implemented the organisation’s commitments. The country has actively proposed about 70 initiatives on trade, investment, technical cooperation, healthcare, and responses to a state of emergency and counter-terrorism.

Intra-APEC cooperative activities have helped improve Vietnam ’s position in the region and the international arena, as well as boost bilateral relations with important partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

Through joining APEC, Vietnam has gained better access to capital sources, modern technology and management experience through investment and trade activities with major economies like the US, Japan, China and Canada./.