Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lê Hải Bình

HÀ NỘI — The first APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM1) of 2017, scheduled for February 18 to March 3, holds significant meaning in reasserting the organisation’s determination to boost co-operation for growth in the Asian-Pacific region.

The comment was made on Thursday by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lê Hải Bình at a regular press conference in Hà Nội to report on Việt Nam’s external activities. He said the APEC meeting will take place in the south central coastal city of Nha Trang. Close to 1,500 delegates from the member economies, international organisations, and businesses are expected to attend.

Nearly 60 relevant meetings, dialogues and workshops will be held as part of SOM 1, focusing on the theme of APEC Year 2017, “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering A Shared Future”, he added. Participants will put forth incentives to implement APEC priorities in 2017, the spokesperson said.

The APEC Finance Deputies Meeting and Central Bank Deputies Meeting will also be held in Nha Trang from February 23-24, he said.

Regarding reporters’ queries about Việt Nam’s reaction to a Chinese bank setting up a branch in the "so-called" Sansa City, Bình said that the Chinese bank branch on Phú Lâm Island in Việt Nam’s Hoàng Sa archipelago was illegal.

“We have repeatedly affirmed that Việt Nam has indisputable sovereignty over Hoàng Sa (Paracel) and Trường Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes. Therefore, every activity carried out by foreign countries in this area, if there is, without Việt Nam’s permission is illegal and does not change the fact that Việt Nam has full sovereignty over the area,” Bình said.

In response to queries relating to the Government decree granting e-visas to foreigners, he said copies of the decree in different languages will be sent to embassies and international agencies in Hà Nội in order to boost tourism and international exchanges between Vietnamese people and international friends. — VNS