Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, chairman of the 2017 APEC Senior Officials’ Meetings (left), and Chairman of Ha Noi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) dialogue with businesses in Ha Noi on December 8. — VNS Photo
An Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) dialogue with businesses was held in Ha Noi on December 8 with the theme “Creating new dynamism for growth and integration.”
The dialogue, an initiative of Viet Nam as the host of APEC activities in 2017, drew some 400 delegates from international and regional organisations, commerce chambers, associations and businesses from APEC economies.
Alan Bollard, executive director of the APEC Secretariat, and Antonio Basilio, director of the APEC Business Advisory Council’s International Secretariat, were among the keynote speakers.
Opening the dialogue, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, chairman of the 2017 APEC Senior Officials’ Meetings, said Viet Nam wants to turn APEC into a forum for the sake of people and businesses. Diverse activities involving enterprises will take place throughout 2017.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Ha Noi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung highlighted the Vietnamese capital city’s reform and integration efforts and reiterated commitments to revamping local business climate change towards a big hub in Asia-Pacific.
He highly valued the APEC dialogue’s cooperation focus on business facilitation, trade liberalisation and technical economic investment and cooperation, adding that Ha Noi expects APEC 2017 will effectively implement the prioritised orientations on sustainable and inclusive growth, creativity and regional economic connectivity to improve small and medium enterprises’ competitiveness and ensure food security and sustainable agriculture.
He stated that Ha Noi welcomes and will always create a favourable environment for business cooperation for mutual development. It hopes more and more APEC partners will consider this city a trustworthy destination for cooperation and investment.
At the dialogue, entrepreneurs appreciated APEC’s efforts to promote trade and investment liberalisation and build an open and transparent business and investment environment. They also voiced their wish to join in and practically contribute to APEC’s cooperation in 2017. — VNS