Vietnam contributes ideas to open new directions for APEC cooperation

In an interview about the results of President Vo Van Thuong 's visit to the US, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said that Vietnam's outstanding contributions were the ideas and proposals of President Vo Van Thuong to respond to urgent issues of the world economy, especially the requirement for a new, inclusive, harmonious and humane way of thinking.

President Vo Van Thuong attended an informal dialogue and a working lunch between APEC leaders and guests. Photo: VNA

- Could you please tell us about the outstanding results of the 30th APEC Summit Week that took place from November 14-17, 2023 in the US?

This APEC Summit takes place in a special context with the following three highlights:

Firstly, this is an opportunity to look back 30 years since the first Summit in the US in 1993, APEC's journey to becoming a leading regional mechanism for international connectivity and cooperation;

Second, this is a time when the world and the region are experiencing many fluctuations, facing many new challenges in terms of economy, politics , society, and environment; members have made important policy adjustments towards green growth, digital transformation, and enhancing self-reliance;

Third, in the face of profound changes in the world, this is also the time for APEC to affirm its role and mission in the new period, clearly defining its core values ​​and priorities.

In that context, this summit achieved important results in three aspects:

First, APEC leaders reaffirmed that promoting free and open trade and investment is an important task and a top priority of the Forum. Leaders agreed to continue promoting economic integration and regional connectivity; support the multilateral trading system based on rules; maintain open markets, resolve disruptions and build resilient open supply chains. However, leaders also said that a new, more comprehensive, balanced and harmonious approach is needed.

Second, the conference is an important step forward, built on the results of cooperation over the past years, especially since APEC 2017 in Vietnam, in affirming that sustainable and inclusive growth has become a pillar of APEC cooperation.

President Vo Van Thuong delivers a keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit. Photo: VNA

The meeting affirmed APEC's leading role in promoting an inclusive and sustainable agenda in the region. Leaders devoted a session to discussing the impact of climate change on the region and each economy; as well as adopting the Principles guiding a just energy transition. The meeting agreed on a common direction to support countries in digital transformation, ensuring food security, and integrating inclusiveness and sustainability into trade and investment policies.

Third, on the occasion of the conference, a series of activities took place with the participation of thousands of businesses in the Asia-Pacific region under the theme “Creating economic opportunities. Inclusive. Resilient. Innovative”. These activities helped strengthen the support and companionship of the business community in implementing APEC’s goals and vision for an open, dynamic, peaceful and resilient Asia-Pacific community.

Finally, the conference is an important occasion for leaders to meet and discuss to seek solutions to bilateral and multilateral issues.

During the APEC Summit Week, the Leaders' Meeting on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) for Prosperity took place. This activity marked an important step forward for the initiative after a year and a half of discussion and negotiation among 14 countries. The leaders issued a statement affirming the goal of building IPEF into an open, inclusive, flexible, long-term and dynamic forum to promote common interests, contributing to ensuring a peaceful, stable, developed and prosperous future for all people.

- Could you please tell us about Vietnam's contribution to this year's Summit?

The 2023 Summit has special significance, marking the 25th anniversary of Vietnam's accession to APEC. President Vo Van Thuong and the high-ranking delegation attended the activities of the 2023 APEC Summit Week and made important contributions to the success of the conference.

First of all, Vietnam's outstanding contribution is the ideas and proposals of President Vo Van Thuong to respond to urgent issues of the world economy, especially the requirement for a new, inclusive, harmonious and humane way of thinking.

President Vo Van Thuong attends the High-Level Meeting of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) for Prosperity. Photo: VNA

The President also made specific proposals for APEC’s mission and tasks in the new period to adapt and continue to succeed. That is to maintain and consolidate important achievements in liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment in Asia-Pacific and globally.

It is about cooperation to build a self-reliant region, each self-reliant economy, ready to respond to challenges. It is about creating a cooperation framework to support member economies to take advantage of development opportunities and promote growth momentum.

These ideas and viewpoints were highly appreciated by leaders and the business community and included in the conference documents, thereby opening up new directions for APEC cooperation.

Second, at this conference, countries unanimously supported Vietnam's proposal to host APEC 2027. In the context of complicated developments in the world and the region, this proposal affirmed Vietnam's commitment to multilateralism, the Asia-Pacific region in general and the APEC Forum in particular.

This also demonstrates the determination to proactively and actively implement the policy of comprehensive and extensive international integration, to be a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community, contributing to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.

All APEC members expressed their appreciation for Vietnam's practical and constructive contributions to APEC over the past two decades and affirmed their confidence in Vietnam's role as APEC Chair in 2027.

Third, representatives of Vietnamese ministries and sectors actively participated and coordinated with the US host and members in the preparation and discussion process at the conference, bringing the best results for all members.

On this occasion, the President had many meetings with leaders of other countries. At the meetings, leaders of these countries highly appreciated the position and role of Vietnam, agreed to increase delegation exchanges, promote political-diplomatic cooperation, economic-trade, science-technology, education and training, connect localities of Vietnam and other countries, people-to-people exchanges as well as support each other at regional and international forums.

- Could you please tell us about the results of the President's bilateral activities with the US during his working trip?

President Vo Van Thuong had meetings and discussions with President Biden; Special Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry; Governor of California; Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles; received a number of leading US businesses: Boeing, Apple; spoke at the US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); attended and gave a speech at the Roundtable on connecting Vietnamese localities and US businesses in high technology; visited Stanford University Medical Center.

On this occasion, the President visited an overseas Vietnamese family and met with leaders and officials of our diplomatic missions in the US.

The President's speech on the world situation, Vietnam's foreign policy and Vietnam-US relations at CFR was highly appreciated by people in the US.

It can be seen that through the meetings, the two sides agreed to continue to implement the results of the agreement between the two countries' senior leaders during President Biden's recent state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and the Joint Statement on upgrading Vietnam-US relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership; focusing on economics - trade - investment; considering science - technology and innovation as breakthrough areas of cooperation, continuing cooperation in education - training, focusing on training high-quality human resources, and cooperation in responding to climate change.

US businesses continue to pay high attention to the Vietnamese market; affirming to expand investment and business in Vietnam, especially in the fields of high technology, infrastructure, energy; ready to support Vietnam in training a highly skilled workforce... to serve digital transformation, green transformation...

It can be said that the working trip of President Vo Van Thuong and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation to attend the APEC Summit Week and combine bilateral activities in the US was a great success, practically implementing the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress.

Through the President's speeches and activities, we have conveyed important messages about Vietnam's viewpoints and approaches to the challenges facing the world and the region, and specific policies and guidelines in implementing foreign policy, including Directive 25 of the Secretariat on promoting and elevating multilateral diplomacy to 2030.

By hosting APEC 2027 for the third time, we once again demonstrate our strategic vision for the Asia-Pacific region and are a vivid demonstration of the trust of APEC members as well as the international community in Vietnam's role and position in the international arena.

Laodong.vn