Vietnam participates in cooperation orientation, acting together for sustainable development

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang emphasized this in a press interview before the APEC 2023 High-Level Week.

The APEC 2023 Summit Week will take place from November 14-17 in San Francisco, USA. (Source: apec.org)

The APEC High-Level Week will take place from November 14-17 in San Francisco, USA, marking 25 years of Vietnam's participation in APEC. Could the Deputy Minister please share some of Vietnam's contributions to the Forum over the past years?

Looking back at 25 years of participating in APEC, we can affirm 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 imprints on the APEC process. Three outstanding imprints can be highlighted:

Firstly, Vietnam is one of the few economies that has twice been trusted and supported by member countries to host APEC Years, in 2006 and 2017.

Under Vietnam's chairmanship, the two APEC Summits in Hanoi in 2006 and Da Nang in 2017 were both highly successful, achieving important results with strategic significance for the APEC Forum as well as economic cooperation and integration in the Asia- Pacific region.

At APEC 2006, we made our mark with the Action Program.

Hanoi aims to implement the Bogor goals on trade and investment liberalization; for the first time, APEC adopted the idea of ​​forming a Free Trade Area in the Asia-Pacific region, outlining the overall direction for APEC reform.

In 2017, they proposed the initiative to build a new APEC vision after 2020 and established the APEC Vision Group. This result demonstrates Vietnam's long-term, holistic approach, which was supported and highly appreciated by members, thus laying the foundation for APEC to adopt the Joint Statement on the Putrajaya Vision to 2040, defining the strategic directions, goals, and cooperation priorities of APEC in the new phase.

Secondly, Vietnam is one of the most active members in proposing initiatives and cooperation projects, with nearly 150 projects in fields ranging from human resource development, promoting e-commerce, food security, empowering women economically 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 its members, and on the other hand, effectively serve Vietnam's socio-economic development goals.

Thirdly, we have affirmed our role in leading and promoting the implementation of APEC cooperation programs by assuming important positions within the Forum's mechanisms. Notable examples include the role of Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, Chair of the ASEAN Group within APEC, and Chair/Vice Chair of numerous important committees and working groups of the Forum. Vietnamese businesses have also contributed and actively participated in the APEC Business Advisory Council and the APEC Business Summit.

Looking back over the past 25 years, adhering closely to the Party's foreign policy and implementing the principle that Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community, we have participated in APEC proactively, positively, responsibly, and made many contributions to the development of the APEC Forum.

The success of APEC Years 2006 and 2017, along with other important contributions of Vietnam at the Forum, has helped to enhance the country's role, position, and prestige on the international stage, maximizing opportunities and resources from APEC cooperation and other regional economic cooperation and integration mechanisms to serve the country's socio-economic development.

Could the Deputy Minister please explain the significance and topics of discussion at the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, which will take place on November 16-17?

APEC is currently the leading economic cooperation and integration mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region, accounting for 39% of the world's population, 59% of its GDP, and nearly 50% of global trade. This year's Summit is of significant importance, evident in two aspects:

Firstly , this year's Summit marks exactly 30 years since the first APEC Summit, also held in the United States. At that time, the pioneering leaders agreed on a shared vision of a community of Asia-Pacific economies for the stability, security, and prosperity of their people.

Secondly, this year's conference is taking place against the backdrop of profound transformation in the global economy, international and regional economic integration; risks and challenges are intertwined with great opportunities for cooperation and development, and traditional and non-traditional security challenges are evolving in a complex manner.

Therefore, this is a moment that demands APEC members strengthen dialogue and cooperation, transforming challenges into opportunities for sustainable recovery and development.

With that in mind and under the theme " Building a resilient and sustainable future for all ," this conference will focus on evaluating the results of APEC cooperation over the past 30 years, summarizing successes, lessons learned, and values ​​for regional cooperation, thereby identifying directions for cooperation in the new phase with the goal of enabling APEC to continue to assert its role as the leading forum for economic integration and cooperation, contributing to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

The leaders will also discuss major issues facing the global and regional economies today, especially promoting trade and investment cooperation, sustainable and inclusive growth, strengthening regional economic connectivity and integration, thereby fostering dialogue, cooperation, and joint contributions to the sustainable development and prosperity of the region.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang answers questions from the press. (Photo: Anh Son)

How will Vietnam's participation in this year's High-Level Week contribute to the overall success of the conferences, Mr. Deputy Minister?

At the invitation of US President Joe Biden, President Vo Van Thuong and his wife will join a high-level Vietnamese delegation to attend the APEC 2023 Summit Week and participate in bilateral activities in the United States from November 14-17.

Given the special significance of this year's APEC Summit and in the context of the continued strong development of Vietnam-US relations in recent times, with the two countries having established a framework for a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the President's trip to attend the APEC Summit and bilateral activities in the United States is of great importance.

The President will join APEC leaders in discussing key issues of importance to the global and regional economies, and outlining directions for cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, innovation, and many other fields.

Vietnam will work with other members to promote a spirit of dialogue, constructive engagement, responsibility, uphold multilateralism, and cooperate and act together for the sustainable development and prosperity of the region.

The President will attend, deliver a speech, and hold numerous working sessions at the APEC Business Summit. This is the largest event of the business community in the region, with the participation of more than 2,000 leaders from leading global and Asia-Pacific corporations.

Here, the President will deliver a strong message to the business community, urging them to join hands, overcome current challenges, and seize opportunities to promote sustainable development in the region and each economy, including Vietnam.

With regard to the United States, the President's activities at the APEC Summit and bilateral activities with senior leaders and US partners, especially in California, will continue to promote bilateral relations in the spirit of the recent Joint Statement on establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the United States, particularly in the fields of education and training, science and technology, innovation, and connectivity between localities.

It can be affirmed that the President's trip to attend the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, combined with bilateral activities in the United States, is one of the important activities in the 2023 foreign affairs program of the Party and State leaders, thereby continuing to maintain and strengthen the peaceful, stable, and favorable foreign relations situation for national development.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/apec-2023-viet-nam-tham-gia-dinh-huong-hop-tac-cung-hanh-dong-vi-su-phat-trien-ben-vung-249760.html