The 18th APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) plenary session took place at the National Convention Center on Thursday, with APEC ministers’ consensus to propose prompt action to resume the Doha Round.
The meeting was chaired by Viet Nam’s Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem and Minister of Trade Truong Dinh Tuyen.
In his speech, Mr. Pham Gia Khiem praised the progress of APEC cooperation, and the significant role of this regional economic forum. The target of building APEC towards a dynamic community of sustainable development and prosperity has been realized by APEC members with specific and practical action plans, he said.
On the same day, the two Vietnamese leaders announced the satisfactory results of the two-day meeting between APEC ministers at a press conference with local and foreign reporters.
According to Mr. Pham Gia Khiem, AMM has agreed on the following issues:
First, ministers approved a report on the results of Senior Officials Meetings (SOMs) since the beginning of this year. They highly valued the working results of senior officials and their efforts over the past year.
Second, ministers reached a broad consensus on a draft content of the Stand-alone Statement on the Doha Development Agenda of the 14th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to submit to APEC leaders for consideration.
Third, ministers also approved the Ha Noi Action Plan to implement the Busan Roadmap, considering this an important foundation for efficiently accelerating the execution of the Bogor Goals on free and open trade and investment.
Finally, ministers approved a report on the reform of APEC with recommendations aimed at making APEC more dynamic, efficient and more adaptable in the new context of the region and the world.
Ministers viewed the results as one of the prominent imprints of the APEC Viet Nam Year and some of them considered the APEC 2006 Year as the year of APEC reform.
Mr. Pham Gia Khiem also thanked local and foreign journalists for their contribution to the success of APEC 2006.
