Tokyo (VNA) – The Japan Times devoted three pages of its November 4 issue to an article written by Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh highlighting Vietnam’s achievements and its role in ensuring the success of the APEC Year 2017.

The article affirmed that after 30 years of implementing its “Doi moi” (reform) policy, Vietnam has made achievements in both politics and economy, in maintaining social welfare stability, and traditional cultural values, and in integrating into the region and world’s economies.

The country continued pursuing a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance and multilateralisation and diversification of international relations.

Vietnam became a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in November 1998. Over the past 19 years, the country has actively participated in APEC activities and contributed to the forum’s development through hosting the APEC Year in 2006 and 2017, the article wrote.

As the host of the APEC Year 2017, Vietnam has held hundreds of meetings, with the highlight being the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week starting on November 6 in the central city of Da Nang.

Meetings have been held across Vietnam to introduce its land and people to delegates from APEC economies. They have left a good image of Vietnam, especially in preparing meeting agendas and logistics work throughout the year, noted the article.

 

[President's article: "APEC Vietnam 2017 - Fostering a shared future in a changing world"]

It also stressed that Vietnam is an active and responsible host in boosting APEC’s cooperative activities and maintaining its position as a leading economic forum globally and regionally.

Established in 1989, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum comprises 21 economies, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong-China, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam.

APEC represents about 39 percent of the world’s population and contributes 57 percent to global GDP and 49 percent of international trade.-VNA