Hanoi (VNA) – President Nguyen Xuan Phuc is to attend a virtual informalmeeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders on July 16, whichwill once again demonstrate Vietnam’s sense of responsibility towards, alongwith its proactiveness and activeness in the APEC cooperation.

Talkingto the press ahead of the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen MinhVu said facing the COVID-19 pandemic’s severe impacts on every socio-economicaspect, APEC economies have shown their proactiveness, activeness, andadaptability to this situation.

Asa leading regional forum on economic connectivity, the members have continuedmaking commitments and efforts to maintain open markets, promote trade andinvestment liberalisation, and support the multilateral trade system.

Inresponse to the pandemic, APEC members have coordinated closely via flexibleforms such as meeting via videoconference, opening websites to provideinformation about pandemic response and economic recovery, sharing experienceand enhancing cooperation in social security matters, increasing financialresources for joint programmes on social issues.

Theyhave also issued many initiatives and ministerial-level statements relevant tourgent issues like ensuring uninterrupted flows of essential goods, providinggoods flow supporting services, and promoting vaccine supply chains in theregion, Vu noted.

Heheld that via online activities and efforts to share experience and strengthencooperation, APEC has shown its highly practical, responsible, and effectiverole in the COVID-19 combat and economic recovery.

Vietnamhas been working closely with New Zealand, the host of APEC in 2021, and othermember economies to contribute ideas to the forum’s agendas, he went on.

Thecountry is one of the APEC economies taking the lead in calling on moredeveloped members to voluntarily share technology and ensure swift and fairaccess to vaccines at reasonable costs. It has also cooperated with othermembers to share experience in guaranteeing social security and creating jobsfor the youth, according to the official.

AsAsia-Pacific is an important region gathering major economic, trade, and strategicpartners of Vietnam, President Phuc’s participation in the informal APECleaders’ meeting on July 16 holds great significance in different aspects, Vusaid.

Firstly,he elaborated, the theme and main content of this meeting match the prioritiesand attention of Vietnam as well as other members, including experiences in thepandemic response, especially boosting vaccine access, recovering economies,keeping supply chains uninterrupted, and measures to assist vulnerable groups.

Secondly,basing on the orientations and solutions issued by President Phuc and otherAPEC leaders, Vietnam will transform those commitments into cooperationprogrammes and action plans, both multilaterally within APEC and bilaterally withstrategic partners, particularly the partners with large vaccine, financial,and market resources and potential.

Thirdly,as Vietnam is a dynamically developing economy and has made activecontributions to APEC, as seen in the successful organisation of the APECeconomic leaders’ meeting in 2006 and 2017 and certain successes in theCOVID-19 fight and economic recovery, its President’s attendance at andcontributions to the July 16 meeting will once again demonstrate the country’ssense of responsibility towards, along with its proactiveness and activeness inthe APEC cooperation, thereby further raising its stature and helping promotethe forum’s role in the global economic governance structure, the DeputyForeign Minister added./.