Vietnam's mark after 25 years of joining APEC

Since being admitted as a member of APEC in 1998, over the past 25 years, Vietnam has actively participated and effectively contributed to the development of the Forum in all areas of cooperation.

Not only fully and responsibly participating in many APEC cooperation and collective action programs and seriously implementing APEC cooperation commitments, Vietnam has also proactively proposed and contributed initiatives to promote trade and investment facilitation in the Asia- Pacific region, which have been highly appreciated by international partners.

First of all, it must be affirmed that in a quarter of a century of participating in the APEC process, Vietnam has made active, responsible and effective contributions to all areas of cooperation, leaving many important marks.

Vietnam first took on the role of APEC host in 2006. (Photo: VNA)

Looking back on 25 years of participating in APEC, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang said that it can be affirmed that the decision to join APEC in 1998 was a strategic decision in the country's international economic integration, laying the foundation for global integration and contributing to the development of Vietnam as well as the region.

"Over the past 25 years, Vietnam has made active, responsible and effective contributions to all areas of cooperation, leaving many important marks in the APEC process. These are very specific and practical contributions and they demonstrate our consistent policy of being a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible partner of the international community," said Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang.

Accordingly, under the chairmanship of Vietnam, the two APEC Economic Leaders' Summits in Hanoi in 2006 and Da Nang in 2017 were both assessed as extremely successful, achieving important results, of strategic significance for the APEC Forum as well as economic cooperation and linkages in the Asia-Pacific region.

While at APEC 2006, Vietnam made its mark with the Hanoi Action Plan to implement the Bogor goals on trade and investment liberalization, in 2017, Vietnam proposed the initiative to build a new APEC vision after 2020 and established the APEC Vision Group. This demonstrates Vietnam's long-term, comprehensive approach, serving as the foundation for APEC to adopt the Joint Statement on Putrajaya Vision to 2040.

Vietnam is one of the most active members in proposing initiatives and cooperation projects, with nearly 150 projects, in common areas of APEC from human resource development, promoting e-commerce, food security, enhancing women's economic empowerment to rural and urban development, ocean waste, and climate change response. These initiatives and projects on the one hand promote APEC cooperation in line with the interests and concerns of members, while at the same time effectively serving Vietnam's socio-economic development goals.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang.

Assessing Vietnam's efforts to contribute to the overall success of the APEC Forum, especially when Vietnam took on the role of host of the 2017 Summit in Da Nang, former President of the Republic of Chile Michelle Bachelet commented: "Vietnam plays an important role in promoting the implementation of important contents and in this regard, we fully share with Vietnam the priorities in the APEC 2017 Agenda".

Another highlight is Vietnam's role in managing and promoting the implementation of APEC cooperation programs through taking on important positions in the APEC Forum mechanisms. Notably, the role of Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, Chair of the ASEAN Group in APEC, Chair/Vice Chair of many important committees and working groups of the Forum. Along with that, Vietnamese enterprises have also contributed and actively participated in the APEC Business Advisory Council and the APEC Business Summit.

The President of the European Central Bank (ECB), Ms. Christine Lagarde, when attending the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Da Nang, emphasized that Vietnam's priority issues have demonstrated that Vietnam is showing great determination to work with APEC to realize common goals: "Vietnam is a country with a very open economy and is integrating better with the world. I also see that Vietnam's focus on international trade has been proven to be correct, especially when 60% of the region's trade takes place between Asian countries."

It can be said that the success of APEC 2006 and APEC 2017, along with other important contributions of Vietnam at the APEC Forum, has contributed to enhancing the country's role, position and prestige in the international arena. From there, it has helped Vietnam to take full advantage of opportunities and resources from APEC cooperation and regional economic cooperation and linkage mechanisms to serve the socio-economic development of a prosperous country.

According to https://vov.vn/chinh-tri/dau-an-viet-nam-sau-25-nam-gia-nhap-apec-post1059157.vov

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