The 22nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting has conveyed a message of determination and effort among member economies for an integrated, innovative and interconnected Asia-Pacific, thus consolidating the leading role of the Asia-Pacific in the world economy. Strengthening comprehensive connectivity and infrastructure development
On November 11, 2014, at the Yanqi Lake International Convention Centre in Beijing, China, the APEC leaders continued their discussions on strengthening comprehensive connectivity and infrastructure development.
They placed emphasis on the importance of enhancing comprehensive connectivity for economic growth, maritime and aviation connectivity, cooperation and mutual support and promoting prosperity and community spirit in the Asia – Pacific region.
The leaders hailed the accomplishments APEC members have achieved in reinforcing connectivity cooperation and infrastructure development and acknowledged the efforts of member economies in boosting the public-private partnership (PPP) for infrastructure development through initiatives within the APEC framework.
Speaking at the discussion session, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang underscored the outstanding achievements of APEC for more than two decades on the formation of a cooperative network and wide-ranging linkages from the sub-regional level to the Asia – Pacific region at large. He welcomed and supported the Overall APEC Connection Plan for the period 2015-2025 and important decisions to strengthen connectivity, especially infrastructure development among APEC members. He agreed upon the need to mobilise financial resources and necessary technical assistance, through transparent cooperation mechanisms for development goals.
For a comprehensive regional connectivity, President Sang suggested the APEC members focus on cooperation to cope with global challenges, support capacity building for developing members, speed up education and training, and strengthen PPP cooperation, and enhance the integral role of businesses. The President said that the key issue is to align connectivity frameworks at all levels of the region, ensure complementarity and coordination in proposing and implementing initiatives of these frameworks. He stressed that the “Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity” and infrastructure connectivity projects in ASEAN Continent and Mekong Sub-region that ASEAN members are strongly deploying can be considered as a nucleus to strengthen connectivity in the Asia – Pacific region. Regional connectivity and in couple with economic growth and development gap narrowing is the key contents of resilient, harmonious and cohesive ASEAN Community.
Promoting innovative development, economic reform and growth
Shortly afterwards, the APEC leaders continued the second plenary session on “Promoting innovative development, economic reform and growth.” The APEC leaders emphasised that the prospects for the shared prosperity of APEC will depend on innovative development, economic reform and growth in the region, which are complementary and mutually reinforcing, and that the Asia-Pacific region is at a crucial stage of economic transformation. The leaders affirmed to support the efforts to promote economic restructuring and upgrading in traditional industries, explore new and promising economic growth areas such as the green economy, the blue economy, and the internet economy, develop human resources, and avoid middle-income trap. They were committed to accelerating the pace of reform and innovation, and exploring new growth areas with the goal of bolstering the position of the Asia-Pacific as an engine for world economic growth. In his speech delivered to the plenary session, the President stressed the need to attach innovative development and reform to efforts to narrow development gap, ensure social welfare, poverty reduction and gender equality. He affirmed Vietnam applauds APEC’s Food Security Roadmap to 2020 as this issue is one of the human kind’s challenges in the 21st century. Accordingly, he proposed paying due attention to the close relation between food security and water resource security, fostering science and technology cooperation in environment-friendly agricultural production, and boosting trade liberalisation for food products in order to ensure people’s equal access.
President Sang said the promotion of mutually beneficial economic cooperation along with ensuring harmonised interests of members will contribute to extensive cooperation of APEC in the new period, including natural disaster response, search and rescue, fishery cooperation and scientific and technological application. To address current challenges and risks of instability in development and security in the region, he highlighted the necessity for APEC economies to increase dialogues and efforts in line with international laws and regional code of conduct. He suggested that the cooperation deployment must base on an integrated approach, ensure a balance of economic and social development with the management and conservation of sustainable marine, coastal ecosystem resources, and guarantee social equity and livelihoods of coastal fishing communities. He confirmed that with determination to promote renovation, Vietnam is carrying out economic restructuring and growth model transformation towards sustainability. The country will continue to join efforts with other APEC members to stimulate development, reform and economic growth.
The APEC Leaders Summit issued two declarations, namely “Beijing Agenda for an Integrated, Innovative and Interconnected Asia-Pacific” and “Shaping the Future through the Asia-Pacific Partnership” together with four annexes, including “The Beijing Roadmap for APEC’s Contribution to the Realisation of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP)”, “APEC Strategies Blueprint for Promoting Global Value Chain Development and Cooperation”, “APEC Accord on Innovative Development, Economic Reform and Growth”, and “APEC Connectivity Blueprint for 2015-2025″.
PV
Đăng ký: VietNam News
