By Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico

Mexico has a special friendship with Việt Nam: Its ancient culture, kind people and economic potential show us that greatness can live through the past, the present and the future. I will be honored to be in Đà Nẵng and I am convinced that this will be an excellent opportunity to strengthen the ties between our nations.

What Việt Nam has achieved in the last thirty years is impressive. Its outstanding economic growth, its productive capacity and its macroeconomic stability are proof that transformation, renovation and modernisation bring positive results. That is also confirmed by the substantial rise in its exports and growing trade. No doubt, the reform agenda implemented in Việt Nam, known as the Đổi Mới Policy, is a story of success.

Our bilateral relationship has developed quickly. The commercial exchange between our countries has experienced important growth in the last decade. We multiplied by almost 10 times the value of our traded goods: from US$513 million in 2007 to more than $5 billion in 2016. Việt Nam is Mexico’s fifth largest trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region, whilst Mexico is Việt Nam’s first trading partner in Latin America. Both economies have great potential to increase their competitiveness, if they continue this path of openness, co-operation and integration.

Even though Mexico has consolidated an important trading network, we are committed to deepening our commercial ties with the Asia-Pacific region. We will work, along with Việt Nam and other partners in the region, to put into effect the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP11) as soon as possible. We are certain that it will bring greater trade integration among the 812 million people living in this economic bloc.

Likewise, the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum (APEC) is a priority initiative for my country. Seven of its members are already among our ten largest trade partners. Around 88 per cent of Mexico’s exports and 80 per cent of our imports come from APEC members. We are also an important supplier for the region: nearly 80 per cent of APEC economies’ imports are intermediate products processed in Mexico.

However, in order to enjoy sustainable development, policies must be about more than trade, we need to foster sustainable and inclusive growth, deepen regional economic integration, enhance the role of Micro, Small and Medium-Size Enterprises in Global Value Chains and address the impact of Climate Change with concrete actions.

In the forthcoming APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, Mexico is looking forward to continue contributing to the fulfillment of the Bogor Goals. We need to keep working on strategic topics such as services, investment, Non-Tariff Measures, Behind-the-Border Barriers and regulatory improvements. Moreover, we must also set the path towards establishing a post-2020 APEC agenda, as the world is facing an increasingly accelerated transformation. I am sure that this year’s summit will contribute to making the Asia-Pacific an even more dynamic region.

In a complex environment such as the one we are facing today, the efforts to enhance dialogue and co-operation are extremely valuable. Therefore, I would like to congratulate the APEC Secretariat and the Government of Việt Nam for the remarkable work they have done to make this meeting possible.