ĐÀ NẴNG — The 2017 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, hosted by Việt Nam, commenced in central Đà Nẵng City on Monday with the opening session of the two-day Concluding Senior Officials Meeting (CSOM).

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn delivered a speech to welcome delegates attending the CSOM, held at the Furama Resort’s Grand Ballroom.

He said the meeting would focus on two key objectives. The first is to review the progress of APEC co-operation to submit to the APEC officials and leaders at the end of this week.

The second is to finalise the APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) statement and the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) Declaration.

“We enter the final and crucial phase and I look forward to a meaningful outcome of our discussions,” the deputy minister said.

Before the meeting began, Shiu Raj, head of the Pacific Rim Forum, told Việt Nam News: “The very reason why APEC exists is to support integration. We will be learning from their experiences. It’s also a great opportunity for us to share our experiences and see how we can move forward in terms of economic integration.”

Under the theme, “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future,” leaders, ministers and seniors officials from APEC’s 21 member economies will take new joint actions to boost trade and growth in the Pacific Rim while ensuring the benefits are widely felt.

According to Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the National Committee on APEC 2017 Phạm Bình Minh, APEC activities this year should create a new impetus to promote growth and increase regional economic integration to new heights, along with reiterating that the forum is for people and businesses.

As part of the recent achievements of APEC co-operation, Việt Nam has introduced four pillars -- fostering sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth; deepening regional economic integration; strengthening MSMEs’ competitiveness and innovation in the digital age; and enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture in response to climate change.

The week will culminate with the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on November 11, to be chaired by President Trần Đại Quang.

It will be preceded by the AMM meeting, Vietnam Business Summit, CEO Summit on November 7 and 8. — VNS