the Informal Senior Officials Meeting (ISOM) 2015 in Manila, the Philippines last year. — Photo outoftownblog.com

HÀ NỘI – Senior officials from the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) member economies will gather at the Informal Senior Officials Meeting (ISOM) in Hà Nội on Friday to discuss priorities and key activities for the 2017 APEC, to be hosted by Việt Nam.

The priorities of the 2017 APEC include creating new momentum for the future of the Asia-Pacific, promoting sustainable and creative growth, the role of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSEMs) and their competitiveness capacity and creativity in the digital era, and enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture and in a way that adapts to climate change, said a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a press briefing yesterday.

A dialogue between AEPC and businesses will be held on the sidelines of the ISOM with the theme of creating new momentum to promote APEC growth and connection as a Vietnamese initiative.

A first international conference of Việt Nam on hosting the 2017 APEC is scheduled to be held later of the day.

Around 200 events, conferences and workshops will be held across the country in the framework of APEC 2017.

Việt Nam has prepared for hosting the 2017 APEC since 2013, when it was given the task at the summit in Indonesia. In late 2013 and 2014 Việt Nam formed an intersectoral working group and in July 2015 organized a National Committee for APEC 2017 preparations.

Việt Nam joined APEC in 1998, an important milestone for Việt Nam in implementing its external policy of diversification and multilateralisation. Việt Nam successfully hosted APEC 14 in 2006, which laid a foundation for the Asia-Pacific Free Trade areas and adopted the Hanoi Action Plan to implement the Bogor goals and initiatives to improve co-operation within APEC.

Established in 1989, APEC comprises 21 economies, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Việt Nam. — VNS