Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ spoke to the media on October 1 regarding preparations for APEC 2027. — VNS Photo Trọng Kiên

HÀ NỘI — Hosting APEC 2027 is not only a major multilateral diplomatic event for Việt Nam but also an important opportunity to enhance the capabilities and professional qualifications of the country’s officials working in international integration, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ has said.

Speaking to the media on October 1 on the sidelines of a workshop on preparations for APEC 2027, Vũ, who is also Secretary-General of the National APEC 2027 Secretariat, stressed that the successful organisation of the APEC Year would require close coordination at multiple levels.

According to Vũ, Việt Nam has identified two major objectives for its APEC host year.

First, through chairing APEC 2027, Việt Nam aims to contribute to the forum’s core agenda of facilitating trade and investment, promoting sustainable growth and enhancing productivity, thereby creating business opportunities and jobs for people across the Asia-Pacific region.

Second, hosting APEC 2027 provides Việt Nam with an opportunity to demonstrate its role and responsibility in addressing regional and global issues, while promoting the country, its people and its localities to the international community.

Localities hosting APEC events will also have opportunities to showcase their culture, people, and destinations, he said.

“Therefore, coordination in organising the APEC Year is extremely important,” Vũ said.

Three levels of coordination

The official outlined three levels of coordination to ensure the effective organisation of APEC 2027.

At the central level, the National Committee for APEC 2027, chaired by Standing Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Gia Túc, brings together ministries and sectors. Coordination between the committee, the National APEC Secretariat and its five subcommittees is essential to the overall preparations.

The five subcommittees cover security and health; logistics and materials; culture and communications; content; and protocol, he said.

The second level involves coordination between central agencies and localities in organising APEC events, while the third concerns coordination between Việt Nam, as host economy, the APEC Secretariat and other APEC economies.

“These three levels of coordination will ensure that the work is carried out smoothly and effectively, enabling the APEC agenda to be implemented and the two major objectives set for APEC 2027 to be achieved,” Vũ said.

Building a stronger pool of integration officials

Regarding preparations for the organisational apparatus and human resources, Vũ said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the direction of the Government and senior leaders, had established a clear organisational structure with well-defined responsibilities.

Experienced officials in multilateral diplomacy and those who participated in organising previous APEC events, particularly APEC Year 2017, have been mobilised to serve on the subcommittees, he said.

“These forces play a very important role in coordinating APEC-related work,” Vũ said.

However, he noted that each APEC host year takes place in a different context, with different scales and expectations. Therefore, training, professional development and updating knowledge and skills remain essential.

Việt Nam has been working closely with the APEC Secretariat and other member economies in this area, he said.

APEC members have high expectations for Việt Nam to once again demonstrate its leadership role, while recognising the country as an influential member of the forum and one of the few economies to have hosted APEC three times, Vũ said.

He expressed confidence that with careful preparations, determination and close cooperation among APEC members, Việt Nam would ensure a successful APEC Year.

Importantly, he added, participation in organising APEC 2027 should not be viewed solely as a means of ensuring the success of the host year.

“It is also a very important opportunity for us to raise the capacity and professional qualifications of Việt Nam’s officials working in international integration as the country enters a new stage of development,” he said.

The 21 APEC member economies agreed in 2023 to Việt Nam’s proposal to host the 35th APEC, following its hosting of the forum in 2006 (in Hà Nội) and 2017 (in Đà Nẵng).

The APEC Economic Leaders’ Week is scheduled to take place in November 2027 in Phú Quốc Special Zone, a popular resort island of the southern province of An Giang. The event is expected to bring together leaders and senior officials from APEC member economies, as well as representatives of businesses, international organisations, experts and global media.

Preparations have been accelerated across a range of areas, including content, infrastructure, logistics, security, healthcare, protocol, communications and human resources. The Government has stressed that infrastructure developed for APEC should serve the long-term development of Phú Quốc and An Giang rather than being designed solely for the event.

APEC 2027 would be among Việt Nam’s most important external-relations events through 2030 and would provide an opportunity for the country to contribute to efforts to build a resilient and prosperous Asia-Pacific community. — VNS