Representatives from 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum have showed their support for priorities proposed by Vietnam for APEC Year 2017 while attending a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 20.
Geneva (VNA) – Representatives from 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) Forum have showed their support for priorities proposed by Vietnam for APECYear 2017 while attending a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 20.
During the meeting, which was hosted by Vietnam’s Permanent Delegation to the United Nations, theWorld Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva,the delegates also discussed the agenda of APEC Year 2017 in Vietnam andGeneva.
Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of the Vietnamese delegation, stressed thathosting APEC Year 2017 is a priority in Vietnam’s external policy with the aimof promoting trade and investment liberalisation, business facilitation and regionalcooperation.
Vietnam has been making efforts to foster economic links bynegotiating and signing free trade agreements with most of APEC membereconomies, Dung said, affirming that the move showed Vietnam’s commitment toopenness and deeper integration into the regional and global economies.
Regarding the event’s theme of “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a SharedFuture” , the ambassador said in the context of slow economic and trade growthin the region and the world, APEC needs to have “new dynamism” to promotegrowth and economic integration and reaffirm the forum’s role in shaping a “sharedfuture” for peace, stability, integration and prosperity.
According to Dung, Vietnam recommended four priorities to promote sustainable,innovative and inclusive growth; boosting regional economic connectivity, increasingcompetitiveness and creativity of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, enhancingfood security and sustainable agriculture, and adaptation to climate change.
During the year, Vietnam will chair more than 200 meetings, including eightmeetings among ministries and sectors, high-ranking dialogues and four meetingsof senior officials. The 25th APEC Economic Leaders' Week will take place in Da Nang city from November5-11.
Participants agreed that APEC needs to play an active role to supportmultilateral and free trade, affirming that APEC members are willing tocoordinate with the Vietnamese delegation in Geneva to build initiatives and contributeto the outcomes of APEC Year 2017.
They hoped that the success of APEC Year 2017 will contribute to the WTO’s 11th Ministerial Conference, which will takeplace in Argentina in December.-VNA
Four working groups have completed their two-day sessions as part of the first Senior Officials’ Meeting of APEC (SOM-1), which is underway in Khanh Hoa province, from February 18 to March 3.
APEC’s Expert Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT) opened their meeting on February 20, as part of the first Senior Officials’ Meeting of APEC (SOM-1).
Delegates from 21 APEC member economies, APEC financial officials, and experts attended a seminar on disaster risk financing and insurance policies in Nha Trang city on February 21.
The first meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) in 2017 opened in Bangkok, Thailand on February 21, with more than 150 delegates from member economies and ABAC taking part.
Experts underscored the necessity and significance of the Finance and Disaster Risk Insurance Initiative within the framework of APEC at a seminar that concluded in Nha Trang city on February 21.
The Vietnamese Embassy advises the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working in Israel to strictly comply with directions from the Home Front Command and local authorities.
Lawmakers are set to vote on revisions and amendments to a broad spectrum of legal frameworks and impactful resolutions during the final week of the 15th NA's 9th session.
The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (SCOVA) has served as a bridge connecting and uniting the community with the homeland, becoming a trusted source of support for Vietnamese expats in times of hardship.
The programme to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses has achieved notable results, with nearly 263,000 housing units addressed to date, including 225,000 houses inaugurated and 38,000 under construction. Thirty-eight provinces and cities across the nation have already fulfilled their targets.
Stronger efforts and determination are required to achieve and surpass the set targets, especially in the eradication of makeshift and dilapidated houses nationwide, the acceleration of public investment disbursement, and the implementation of nationally important transport projects, PM Pham Minh Chinh noted.
The trip will be made at the invitations of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and WEF President and CEO Børge Brende, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Long spoke highly of the dynamic, positive, and comprehensive development of Vietnam – Russia relations in recent years. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State place great importance on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in a substantive and effective manner, in line with the development needs of both nations.
At the conference, participants reported that the Government has so far issued 28 decrees on the delegation of responsibilities and powers between the central Government and two-tier local administrations. Several localities have already piloted the new governance model.
Reality is the ultimate benchmark for success, he said, urging drafting agencies to work out policies that foster development, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and respect practical conditions.
Under the official dispatch signed on June 20, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees are requested to concentrate efforts on implementing core measures to ensure the smooth operations of the new administrative framework.
The Party chief underscored the need for the press to innovate relentlessly, evolve to keep pace with the country's development, transform into a truly professional, humanistic, and modern sector that serves the cause of the Party, the State, and the people on the path to national construction and development.
The UN Secretary-General praised Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development and international integration in recent years, noting that the country has emerged as a model in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting international peace and security, and engaging in key UN processes.
Nghia affirmed that this is a milestone of special significance, affirming and honouring the the Vietnamese revolutionary press’s glorious tradition of 100 years of serving the revolutionary cause of the Party, serving the Fatherland, and serving the people.
The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to and give top priority to the development of Vietnam–China relations. Vietnam is ready to work with the Chinese Party and State to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV, President Cuong said, the press has been a steadfast force on the ideological and cultural front, rallying the masses to pursue national aspirations.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed the need to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence and smart teaching equipment, innovate teaching and assessment methods, and further improve the quality of formal education.
He also pledged that the NA will promote its ongoing supervision, making sure that every promise must lead to results, and every commitment must bring about real changes.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien welcomed the proposals put forward by the US side and reiterated Vietnam’s request for consideration of key areas of interest, including reciprocal tariff policies and access for Vietnamese key export products to the US market.
Scene of the meeting (Source: VNA) 
