Vietnam will continue to contribute with the highest sense of responsibility to promote APEC cooperation.

Before President Luong Cuong's working trip to attend the APEC 2025 Summit Week and bilateral work in Korea, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang gave an interview to the Vietnamese press.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang. Photo: VNA

The Deputy Minister explained the significance of APEC Year 2025 and Vietnam's expectations for this year's APEC Summit.

Over more than three decades of formation and development, the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum has become the leading regional economic cooperation and integration mechanism, with 21 member economies, including 3 out of the 5 leading economies in the world, accounting for 46% of global trade and 61% of global GDP. The APEC 2025 Summit Week takes place amidst rapid and complex geopolitical and geoeconomic changes, with global trade facing numerous challenges, and the world undergoing a profound and pivotal transformation. In this context, the APEC 2025 Summit Week is of particular importance in maintaining and strengthening the spirit of dialogue and cooperation, promoting trade, investment, and economic integration, thereby sustaining growth recovery, responding to global challenges, and shaping the future development of the region based on science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

With the theme "Building a Sustainable Future" and three priorities: "Connectivity," "Innovation," and "Prosperity," the 32nd APEC Summit received high attention and expectations from APEC members and the international community.

Firstly, with the participation of senior leaders from 21 APEC member economies, the Conference is significant in promoting high-level dialogue on major issues facing global economics, trade, and development. Promoting dialogue, cooperation, and jointly addressing common challenges is essential for peace , stability, and development in the region and the world at this time. High-level contacts between APEC leaders on this occasion are also expected to create progress in resolving economic and trade issues, thereby creating a favorable international environment to promote stable trade and investment flows, sustainable growth, resilience, and inclusiveness in the region and globally.

Secondly, the international community expects this year's APEC Summit to create broad cooperation frameworks within APEC in the areas of digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI). This is a high priority for members currently, aiming to maximize opportunities and minimize risks from AI development. The Summit also provides an opportunity for members to strengthen cooperation and address issues such as population aging, promote new growth drivers, develop science and technology, the creative economy, and the cultural industries.

Thirdly, leveraging APEC's strength in connecting governments with businesses, and with the participation of thousands of leading corporations in the region, this APEC High-Level Week is expected to create new impetus to promote public-private cooperation to maximize resources for digital transformation, green transformation, energy transition, strategic infrastructure development, and economic connectivity, thereby contributing to promoting the transformation of the growth model of member economies.

Vietnam expects and believes that, under the chairmanship of South Korea, the positive outcomes of APEC Year 2025 will contribute to and continue to maintain APEC's role as a driving force for economic growth and integration, a role that APEC has affirmed in recent decades, while also promoting APEC's pioneering role in the current era of technology and innovation.

The Deputy Minister explained the significance and purpose of President Luong Cuong's trip to attend the APEC 2025 High-Level Week and conduct bilateral meetings in South Korea.

At the invitation of President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea, President Luong Cuong will lead a high-level Vietnamese delegation to attend the 32nd APEC High-Level Week and conduct bilateral meetings in South Korea from October 29 to November 1, 2025.

At this year's APEC Summit, with the mindset of being one of the fastest-growing economies in the region, with an increasingly prominent international role and position, and confidently entering a new era of development, especially as the country honored to host APEC for the third time in 2027, Vietnam will continue to contribute with the highest sense of responsibility to promote APEC cooperation, strengthen multilateralism, and act together for peace, stability, sustainable development, and prosperity in the region and the world. In that spirit, President Luong Cuong's visit is of paramount importance in many aspects.

Firstly, the President's participation in the APEC High-Level Week is an important step in implementing the foreign policy and major policies and decisions of the Party and State, especially Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW of the Politburo on international integration in the new situation. It continues the shift in thinking and approach to international integration, from a "receiving" mindset to a "contributing" mindset, from integration to deep, comprehensive integration, and from the position of a developing economy to an emerging economy, pioneering in many new fields. The President will discuss with APEC leaders major issues facing cooperation and development, agreeing on directions to promote trade, investment, connectivity, science and technology, green transformation, digital transformation, and many other important areas.

Secondly, President Luong Cuong will have meetings with many leaders of APEC economies and leaders of leading global corporations and businesses, thereby contributing to deepening bilateral relations with partners and mobilizing resources to serve the socio-economic development goals of the country.

In particular, the President will attend, engage in dialogue, and deliver a key speech at the APEC CEO Summit 2025, with the participation of nearly 2,000 leaders from leading corporations in the region. This will convey a strong message about Vietnam's potential, advantages, strategic decisions, and breakthroughs. Through this, the aim is to encourage international partners to continue supporting and working alongside us in this new phase of development, especially in mobilizing financial and technological resources to serve the goals of transforming the growth model, promoting innovation, green transformation, and digital transformation.

Thirdly, on a bilateral level, South Korea is a leading economic partner of Vietnam, and in the context of the extremely positive development of Vietnam-South Korea relations, President Luong Cuong's visit is an opportunity for both sides to further consolidate and deepen the foundation of good political relations, promote the effective implementation of high-level commitments and agreements reached in the past, and make the good cooperation between the two countries contribute more substantively and effectively to the development of each country in this important stage of development.

I am confident that President Luong Cuong's trip to attend the APEC 2025 High-Level Week and conduct bilateral meetings in South Korea will be a great success, contributing to further affirming the image of a confident, self-reliant, and strong Vietnam steadily entering a new era of development, making increasingly responsible and effective contributions to common issues of humanity, for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Thank you very much, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang!

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/viet-nam-se-tiep-tiep-dong-gop-voi-tinh-than-trach-nhiem-cao-nhat-nham-thuc-day-hop-tac-apec-20251028203819210.htm