President Truong Tan Sang called on APEC member economies to heighten community-based efforts to minimise disaster risks, align efforts to ensure food security with climate change response, and promote sustainable agriculture through new technology application in order to achieve inclusive growth.

President Truong Tan Sang and other APEC leaders at 23rd APEC Summit's session.

The president made the appeal while attending the 23rd APEC Summit’s session themed “Inclusive Growth through Sustainable and Resilient Communities” in Manila, the Philippines, on November 19.

Severe climate change and disasters are seriously affecting joint efforts to ensure inclusive growth of the Asian-Pacific region and the globe, he said.

The Vietnamese leader welcomed the approval of the APEC Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction and the Action Plan on Food Security, affirming that they will be necessary contributions to implementing the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction.

He stressed the need for APEC to intensify public-private partnership and coordinate closely with other regional and international mechanisms in carrying on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and a new global agreement on climate change.

At the session, APEC leaders also highlighted the importance of human resources improvement, innovation and gender equality in increasing community resilience and sustainability.

They appreciated Vietnam’s initiative to organise the first APEC conference on community-based disaster risk management.

The 23 rd APEC Summit concluded on November 19, conveying the members’ determination and efforts to build economies with sustainable and inclusive growth for a stable, equal, connected and prosperous Asia-Pacific.

The leaders adopted the Declaration on “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World: A Vision for an Asia-Pacific Community”, and the two annexes accompanying the declaration, including the APEC Strategy for Strengthening Quality Growth and the APEC Services Cooperation Framework.

They also endorsed the Statement on Supporting the Multilateral Trading System and the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference.

APEC: Vietnam vows to foster regional economic integration

Hosting APEC in 2017, Vietnam vows to work side by side with other members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in fostering regional economic integration towards the prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region, President Truong Tan Sang said on November 19.

The president made the remarks at the first plenary session of the 23rd APEC Summit in Manila, the Philippines.

The region has seen a rapid transformation, he said, speaking highly of the APEC 2015’s efforts to stimulate quality development.

He called on APEC member economies to continuously foster regional economic integration towards sustainable development goals and focus their cooperation on reducing poverty, development gap and disaster risk; ensuring food security; and developing sustainable agriculture and green tourism.

The APEC economies also need to step up economic and technical cooperation and support for improved capability of developing members, particularly in new-generation economy and trade, the President added.

Having great potentials in economy, science and technology, the APEC members and enterprises should get more involved in sub-regional and regional integration schemes, notably the ASEAN and Mekong, he noted.

Highlighting contributions of Vietnam to strengthening APEC and regional economic integration, the state leader said Vietnam has learned great lessons from 30 years of the “Doi moi” (Renewal) process, which show economic growth is fueled by greater integration while the determinant of sustainable and inclusive growth is reform, particularly reforms of economic system, human resources and infrastructure.

At the first plenary session, themed “Inclusive growth through regional economic integration”, APEC leaders were firmly committed to achieving the Bogor Goals in 2020 towards the establishment of the Free Trade Agreement of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) and developing the region as a driving force of regional and global connectivity.

They affirmed their support for multilateral trade and adopted measures to enhance quality development, reform and increase the participation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in global markets to boost growth.

The APEC 23 Summit, themed “Building inclusive economies, building a better world”, officially opened in Manila on November 19. This is the second time the Philippines has hosted the APEC Summit, with the first time being in 1996.

VNA