ĐÀ NẴNG — President Trần Đại Quang pressed a button yesterday to start a countdown to the 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit in Đà Nẵng. The city will host a heads of state summit and CEOs from 21 member nations during the week of November 5 to 11.

On a visit to the city yesterday, President Quang toured the Ariyana Đà Nẵng Exhibition & Convention Centre – a major location for the APEC CEO Summit scheduled from November 8 to 10, expected to be attended by more than 1,000 CEOs from across the world.

The three-storey building, constructed on an area of 4,500sq.m, will provide meeting halls and space for 2,100 participants.

The President also joined a working session with the central city on the preparation of logistics, accommodation, traffic infrastructure and the decoration of the city for the APEC Summit.

He asked for more efforts to speed up construction of infrastructure projects, especially at Đà Nẵng’s airport. 

He requested the ministries of Defence and Public Security to coordinate and map out specific plans to ensure security and order for events during the High-level Week. 

Last year, the government allocated VNĐ400 billion (US$17.9 million) from the central budget for APEC preparations.

Established in November 1989, APEC comprises 21 economies, representing about 39 per cent of the world population, 57 per cent of total GDP and 47 per cent of world trade. Việt Nam joined the forum in 1998. The country has hosted APEC 2006 and the sixth APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting in September 2014.

More than 15,000 delegates and 6,000 journalists are expected to take part in the event this year.

The city also selected the red-shanked douc langur (Pygathryx nemaeus) – a langur declared endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 2013 – as Đà Nẵng’s official mascot for the summit. The 2,500ha Sơn Trà Nature Reserve, 10km from the city’s centre, is home to nearly 300 red-shanked douc langurs. — VNS