APEC Year 2017: The golden opportunity for Vietnam

Earlier, President Tran Dai Quang and other APEC leaders participated in the second APEC Economic Leaders' Retreat under the themes “Food Security, Climate Change Adaptation and Access to Water,” and “Integrating the Asia-Pacific Towards Real and Functional Connectivity in the APEC Region.”

APEC leaders highlighted the role of food and water security to quality growth, especially in the context that the Asian Pacific Region is affecting with natural disasters and climate change. President Tran Dai Quang presented five proposals to ensure food security, climate change response and water resources access at the second plenary session of the 24th APEC Summit. He also underscored the significance of linking regional connectivity programs together, including the ASEAN and Mekong Sub-region connectivity programs.

At the closing ceremony of the APEC CEO Summit 2016, President Tran Dai Quang welcomed leaders and representatives of APEC economies to the APEC Year 2017. He told delegates at the meeting that Vietnam will to do its best to fulfill this role, contributing to APEC’s development and prosperity and Vietnam was chosen to host APEC Year 2017 with the theme of “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future”, which is also one of key centers in Vietnam’s foreign diplomacy by 2020.

This is the second time in 10 years that Vietnam will host an APEC Summit. Vietnam 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 cooperation within APEC. In addition, Vietnam hosted the 6th APEC Ministerial Meeting on Human Resource Development in 2014.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2017 illustrates Vietnam’s aspiration to contribute to APEC and convert the Asia Pacific Region into a prosperous and developing region. The evnet is considered as a golden opportunity for Vietnam to expand its foreign relations andboost trade and investment from APEC businesses. Vietnamese goods has penetrated the tough markets thanks to decreasing tariffs under the APEC trade liberalization guidelines.

The event will be held in Da Nang city in next November with participation of leaders from 21 member economies, thousands of delegates, business people, and journalists.

This year, APEC members will implement long-term strategies for quality growth, structural reforms of small and medium-sized enterprises, and service cooperation. During the next APEC year, Vietnam will redouble its efforts towards renewal and integration by introducing a new plan for economic restructuring and growth model reform.

According to Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Nga, Ambassador and Senior Advisor to the National Secretariat of APEC 2017, Vietnam has prepared for hosting APEC 2017 since 2013 when it was given the task at the summit in Indonesia. In late 2013 and 2014 Vietnam formed an intersectoral working group and in July 2015 organized a National Committee for APEC 2017 preparations. Over the past year, Vietnam have thoroughly prepared all aspects, she noted.

Vietnam has proposed hosting a Doing Business Vietnam meeting in APEC Year 2017. The event will see Vietnam launch an overall campaign on trade and investment promotion. Vietnam will send a message that with or without the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement Vietnam will continue to work with Asia-Pacific countries and consider them its leading partners.

The second event, the maiden APEC Start-up forum, will take place in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam expects the forum to be a turning point on its path to become a start-up country. The tourism advantages of Vietnam will also be promoted to APEC members.