More than 25 years ago, on November 15, 1998, Vietnam officially became a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum on the occasion of the 10th APEC Foreign and Economic Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). This event marked a strong step in implementing the open foreign policy, multilateralization, diversification and international economic integration of our Party and State, creating momentum for the country's innovation and integration process. [caption id="attachment_604383" align="alignnone" width="665"]
President Vo Van Thuong attends the APEC Economic Leaders' Retreat. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA[/caption] Looking back over the past 25 years, it can be seen that Vietnam has participated in APEC in a proactive and positive spirit, contributing responsibly to the cultivation of a common future for a peaceful, stable, dynamic, creative, connected and prosperous Asia-Pacific community.
Strategic step Established on November 6, 1989 in Canberra (Australia), APEC is the leading regional economic integration mechanism, initiating and taking the lead in promoting the trend of economic, trade and investment liberalization in the region and the world, making an important contribution to economic growth and maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region. Cooperation activities in APEC focus on three main pillars: Trade and investment liberalization; Business facilitation; and economic-technical cooperation, capacity building, equitable and sustainable development. As the leading economic cooperation mechanism in Asia-Pacific, APEC is currently the convergence of major global economic, trade and technology centers, accounting for 38% of the world's population, contributing 62% of GDP and nearly 50% of global trade. After becoming a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1995 and founding the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in 1996, joining APEC in 1998 marked an important turning point in Vietnam's international economic integration process and was a premise for bringing our country's international economic integration to the global level with its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2007. Joining APEC demonstrated Vietnam's determination to actively contribute to promoting the trend of peace, stability, cooperation, trade and investment liberalization in the region. Joining APEC has significantly contributed to enhancing Vietnam's international position. As an APEC member, Vietnam has a role and voice on par with many of the world's leading economic centers in building and shaping regional economic and trade laws and regulations. This is of great significance for Vietnam to promote the implementation of the policy of proactive and active international integration and to raise the level of multilateral diplomacy. Not only promoting multilateral cooperation, APEC is also an important channel for Vietnam to promote bilateral relations, contributing to creating long-term intertwined interests and deepening relations with partners, consolidating a peaceful environment, and creating favorable conditions for national development. Notably, as the host of APEC Year 2006, Vietnam has substantially promoted bilateral relations with many key partners, especially through visits by leaders of China, the United States, Russia, Japan, and Chile during the APEC Summit 2006. After that, the success of the historic bilateral visits and dozens of bilateral talks and contacts during the APEC Summit Week 2017 continued to lay the foundation for elevating our bilateral relations with many partners in the region... Participating in APEC and implementing commitments on trade and investment opening, business facilitation also contributed to creating momentum to promote domestic reforms, gradually perfecting policy institutions and regulations in line with international commitments. Participating in the APEC playground creates the premise for Vietnam to participate in larger playgrounds with higher levels of commitment such as the WTO, FTAs, including new generation, high-standard FTAs. The implementation of international commitments is also a lever to realize the determination to build an honest, creative, and action-oriented government serving the people and businesses. As an APEC member, Vietnam enjoys support to improve its international integration capacity. One of the three main pillars of APEC is economic and technical cooperation (ECOTECH), supporting developing economies to improve their economic reform and regional integration capacity, contributing to narrowing the development gap. The implementation of commitments, policy synchronization, and APEC support projects have contributed to improving the international integration capacity of ministries, sectors, localities and businesses, enhancing the knowledge and experience of the staff working on integration. Cooperation programs on enhancing student exchanges, promoting tourism, people-to-people exchanges, etc. have really brought many great opportunities to the people, especially the younger generation. And what makes APEC cooperation different from many other mechanisms is that APEC has brought great potential and opportunities to Vietnamese businesses. The dialogue between APEC leaders and the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and the annual APEC Business Summit are important occasions for the business community to propose recommendations to leaders, proactively participate in contributing to the development of regional economic integration policies, and at the same time create a framework for Vietnamese businesses to connect with the world's leading corporations. APEC also supports businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, in accessing markets, enjoying favorable investment and business environments and travel conditions, finding strategic investors, accessing advanced technology and management skills...
Important milestones During 25 years of participating in APEC, Vietnam has made active and proactive contributions to APEC, contributing to promoting peace, stability, cooperation, regional economic connectivity, maintaining APEC's role as the leading economic connectivity mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region. [caption id="attachment_604348" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]
Reporters are working at the APEC Summit 2017 in Da Nang. Photo: Thanh Tung - VNS[/caption] Most notably, Vietnam is one of the few members that have successfully hosted APEC twice in 2006 and 2017. Notably, at the Summit Week in November 2006 in Hanoi, for the first time, APEC leaders identified the prospect of forming a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). This is an important decision, laying the foundation for a strategic vision of economic integration across the region. Along with that, the Hanoi Action Plan to implement the Bogor Goals, the APEC Reform Comprehensive Package, cooperation commitments on human security, human resource development, structural reform, supporting developing members to improve their integration capacity... were also assessed as timely and effective solutions to the issues APEC faced at that time. The results of APEC Year 2006 with the spirit of "Towards a dynamic community for sustainable development and prosperity" contributed to creating more momentum to promote APEC cooperation in a more effective and dynamic direction. Next, with courage and intelligence, determination and consensus, Vietnam successfully organized APEC Year 2017 with nearly 250 events, culminating in the 25th APEC Summit Week in the dynamic and modern coastal city of Da Nang. Vietnam has chaired and coordinated with members to promote many major cooperation contents, arousing new driving forces for sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth, promoting trade and investment liberalization and regional connectivity, consolidating APEC's leadership role in global economic and trade governance and responding to common challenges. The Declaration of the 25th APEC Summit and the Joint Foreign and Economic Ministers' Meeting and accompanying documents have contributed to maintaining the momentum of cooperation and connection, maintaining APEC's core values of promoting free and open trade and investment, and supporting the multilateral trading system. Vietnam's role and contribution were particularly highlighted when Vietnam chaired the discussion on building a new Vision for APEC after 2020. It can be said that the success and the imprints of the two APEC hostings affirm Vietnam's proactive, positive and highly responsible contribution in participating in shaping regional economic connectivity, maintaining the role of Asia-Pacific as the driving force of global economic connectivity and growth. Secondly, Vietnam is also one of the most active members in proposing initiatives and projects, with more than 150 projects in many fields. Many initiatives proposed by Vietnam are considered practical, meeting common concerns, especially on sustainable and inclusive development, human resource development in the digital age, promoting the digital economy, narrowing the digital gap, facilitating cross-border e-commerce, green, sustainable and innovative micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), food security, climate change response, ocean waste treatment, economic empowerment for women, rural and urban development... Third, in the management of APEC activities, Vietnam has made significant contributions through its role as Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat (2005-2006), Chair/Vice Chair of many committees and key working groups such as the Trade and Investment Committee, the Budget Management Committee, Working Groups on small and medium enterprises, health, and emergency response... Particularly in the period of 2016-2018, Vietnam has made significant contributions through its role as Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat (2005-2006), Chair/Vice Chair of many committees and key working groups such as the Trade and Investment Committee, the Budget Management Committee, Working Groups on small and medium enterprises, health, and emergency response... In the period of 2016-2018 alone, Vietnam has made significant contributions through its role as Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat (2005-2006), Chair/Vice Chair of many committees and key working groups such as the Trade and Investment Committee, the Budget Management Committee, Working Groups on small and medium enterprises, health, and emergency response... Vietnam has assumed the role of chair and vice chair of 18 committees and working groups of APEC and ABAC, and has been highly appreciated by members. Fourthly, the role of Vietnamese enterprises in APEC cooperation has also been increasingly promoted. Vietnamese enterprises have participated, actively contributed, and proposed many recommendations to APEC leaders and ministers. In particular, in APEC Year 2017, Vietnamese enterprises have contributed their intelligence, efforts, and directly participated in many activities, affirming their maturity, integration capacity, role, and responsibility for APEC cooperation, as well as regional economic connectivity. Since successfully assuming the role of APEC 2017 host, Vietnam has continued to participate and actively contribute to APEC cooperation; promote the implementation of important results of APEC 2017, especially the initiative on building the APEC Vision to 2040. As Vice Chair of the APEC Vision Building Group, Vietnam has proactively participated in leading and coordinating the process of building the APEC Vision Group's Recommendation Report titled "People and Prosperity: APEC Vision to 2040"... In 2023, Vietnam actively supported and closely coordinated with the US host, key APEC members and ASEAN members in APEC to maintain the Forum's principles of free and open trade and investment, promote the momentum of cooperation and regional economic connectivity, promote efforts to respond to the pandemic, economic recovery and sustainable, inclusive growth in the long term, ensuring the success of APEC Year 2023; promote solidarity and enhance the role of ASEAN. Vietnam has actively contributed to APEC's activities and common interests, played an active role in implementing the Aotearoa Action Plan on APEC Vision 2040 and continued to promote the important results of APEC Year 2017. Notably, Vietnam is the only member that voluntarily reported on the implementation results of the Aotearoa Action Plan on all three pillars.../.
Vu Hoa 
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