Having evaluated the outcomes of the meetings of APEC committees and working groups before SOM1, Ambassador-at-Large Valery E. Sorokin, Senior Official of Russia for APEC, said “the discussions were producing desirable results.”
Delegates attending SOM1 on March 2-3 will be hearing reports on the outcomes of the working groups. Earlier, at the APEC Informal Senior Officials Meeting (ISOM) in Hanoi last December, the Russian delegation was informed about the theme and priorities for the APEC Year 2017 proposed by the host country.
“Russia absolutely supports the theme and priorities because these are in line with the APEC major agenda as well as trade and economic development in general,” Sorokin said.
Sharing the view with the Russian ambassador, Alcinda L Trawen, an official from Papua New Guinea, said the meetings of the APEC committees and working groups were successful, producing encouraging results.
The theme and priorities proposed by Vietnam for the APEC Year 2017 are conformable with the APEC member economies as well as the current economic situation in the region and the world, she noted.
Regarding the prospects for cooperation among the APEC members, Ambassador Sorokin said: “Russia is optimistic about the APEC cooperation as this mechanism has so far proven to be effective in all aspects well ahead of international organisations.”
According to the diplomat, APEC is not an international organisation and is not binding and the forum’s decisions are alternative rather than binding. But these decisions are binding the APEC members after they reached and approved.
Russia wants to promote the common work to complete the 2020 Bogor Goals, Sorokin said, adding that Russia appreciated Vietnam’s efforts in calling upon the APEC members to promise practical steps to accomplish the Bogor Goals.
Meanwhile, Alcinda L Trawen said most APEC economies have the same economic aspiration for developmen, adding that Papua New Guinea’s aspiration is to continue collaborating with other APEC members.
Having lauded Vietnam’s contributions to the success of the meetings prior to SOM1, Ambassador Sorokin said Vietnam has well prepared for SOM1 and related meetings. With 21 delegations from the APEC member economies and a lot of meetings and workshops, Vietnam has still ensured logistics services despite limited budget.
As a representative from the host country of the APEC Year 2018, Trawen was impressed by Vietnam’s preparations for SOM1 and related meetings, including the transport and food. “This is my first time in Vietnam and it is very good,” she said.
VNA/VNP