APEC meetings in Vietnam agree to boost investment, trade liberalization

The second senior officials' meeting (SOM 2) and related meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which concluded here on Thursday, agreed to accelerate the completion of Bogor goals on investment and trade liberalization by 2020.

All 21 APEC members strongly support the necessity of maintaining APEC's roles as the driving force of economic connectivity and growth in the region and as the incubator of cooperative ideas and regional linkages for common prosperity in the Asia-Pacific, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said at a press conference right after the SOM 2's conclusion.

The delegates agreed that realizing Bogor goals should be connected with creating fair opportunities for all people and enterprises to participate in and benefit from achievements of regional economic connectivity and growth, he said.

The SOM 2 also welcomed the High-level Police Dialogue on Human Resource Development in the Digital Age on Monday, which approved a framework for human resource development in the digital age. The dialogue is Vietnam's initiative.

At the SOM 2, the delegates were informed about the results of Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on APEC Towards 2020 and Beyond, another initiative of Vietnam.

A new content being widely discussed and supported at the SOM 2 is a proposal on promoting inclusive development in economic, financial and social fields.

On Thursday, the APEC senior finance officials' meeting also kicked off in Vietnam's northern Ninh Binh province.

During the two-day event, the officials are to touch upon and assess the progress of realizing cooperation priorities approved at the APEC Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting in February, and prepare contents for the Finance Ministers' Meeting slated for October in central Quang Nam province. Endit