Hosting of APEC 2017 helps Vietnam in international integration

Hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2017 is a step to concretise Vietnam’s extensive international integration policy, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh told the press following the debut of the APEC 2017 National Committee in Hanoi on July 21.

Minh, who is also the Committee Chairman, said the APEC forum is a regional and global leading economic cooperation mechanism, and it holds a strategic importance in both political and economic terms to Vietnam.
Hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2017 is astep to concretise Vietnam’s extensive international integration policy,Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh told the press following the debutof the APEC 2017 National Committee in Hanoi on July 21.

Minh, who is also the Committee Chairman, said the APEC forum is aregional and global leading economic cooperation mechanism, and it holdsa strategic importance in both political and economic terms to Vietnam.

Thirteen APEC members are strategic andcomprehensive partners of Vietnam, and 13 of the country’s 15 free tradeagreements are signed with APEC members. Meanwhile, about 78 percent offoreign direct investment in, 70 percent of trade with and 70 percentof tourists to Vietnam hail from APEC, he elaborated.

The hosting of APEC 2017 will not only help realise the extensiveinternational integration policy but also intensify Vietnam’scomprehensive relations with partners, he said, noting that this is achance for the country to win more support, cooperation and resources ofthe APEC economies to reinvigorate the national development.

The Deputy PM added APEC 2017 will also offer an opportunity topopularise traditional cultural identities and the image of a reformed,dynamic and potential Vietnam.

He reiterated thatAPEC 2017 is a diplomatic focus of Vietnam, saying that theestablishment of the APEC 2017 National Committee is critical during thepreparation for the year and demonstrates that the Vietnamese Party,State and Government attach importance to the Asian-Pacific region ingeneral and the APEC forum in particular.

He notedthat as the country will hold the chair and vice chair of many APECworking groups and sub-committees, Vietnamese ministries, agencies andsectors need to provide training to make their personnel qualified fornot only APEC 2017 events but also a new stage of internationalintegration. Meanwhile, thorough plans must be designed to gear upinfrastructure for hundreds of meetings with the attendance of thousandsof foreign delegates, including APEC economies’ leaders.

Deputy PM Minh also emphasised that APEC 2017 is a regional-scaleevent that will attract thousands of reporters of foreign media outlets,and communications activities hold a crucial role in promoting Vietnamas a dynamic and hospitable nation.-VNA

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