At the event (Photo: Internet) Bangkok (VNA) – Over 50 officials attended the APEC Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting (ISOM) hosted by Thailand in its resort island of Phuket from December 1-3.
It was the first face-to-face APEC ISOM meeting after almost 22 months of COVID-19 outbreak.
The local media said on December 2 that the event reinforced Thailand’s concept of a “Bio-Circular-Green” (BCG) economy to strengthen environmentally, socially and economically sustainable growth following the pandemic.
In his opening remarks, APEC 2020 SOM Chair Thani Thongphakdi said Thailand's host year will focus on charting a post-COVID-19 future for the Asia-Pacific region, together with promoting long-term growth that is resilient, inclusive, balanced and sustainable.
It should be done under an approach based on economic models like the BCG, he said.
Driven by the BCG economy concept, the theme for APEC will be “Open. Connect. Balance”, he said, adding that as the host of the APEC meeting next year, the Thai government is hoping to achieve its plan to boost open trade and investment under the framework of Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) in the post-COVID context./.
