It is undeniable that many APEC member economies have become Vietnam’s leading partners in terms of trade, investment and ODA funding. They have been and will be Vietnam’s important partners, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet at a recent interview granted to media workers prior to the 14th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
Reporter: After 18 years of development, APEC has overcome challenges to become the world’s most dynamic economic region. Could you tell about the significance of the tremendous achievements recorded by APEC in recent years?
State President Nguyen Minh Triet: In 2005, APEC reviewed the mid-term implementation of the Bogor goals of boosting trade liberalisation and opening up markets with developed economies by 2010 and with developing economies by 2020.
Member economies acknowledged that APEC has made remarkable progresses in reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers and transaction costs, increasing the bloc’s trade turnover, generating more jobs, boosting investment, streamlining administrative procedures for granting of investment licenses, customs clearance and immigration permits, and facilitating enterprises’ investment capacity in the APEC region. Therefore, the Bogor goals are no longer a distant vision but they are increasingly becoming real.
However, from now till 2010 and 2020, APEC will face a lot of difficulties and challenges due to new changes in the business and investment environment, the deadlocked Doha round, strong development of free trade agreements and regional trading arrangements (FTAs/RTAs) and far-reaching impacts of globalization which are widening the gap between rich and poor and development levels.
At the 13th APEC Summit held in Busan, the Republic of Korea, APEC leaders approved “The Busan roadmap to achieve the Bogor goals” with a view to accelerating the implementation of decisions, trade liberalization commitments and trade and investment facilitation while ensuring the Bogor goals will be fully implemented.
They are expected to approve the Hanoi action plan to implement the Busan roadmap with a focus on launching specific measures, increasing cooperation efficiency to bring into full play APEC’s advantages in implementing all the set targets.
Reporter: November this year marks Vietnam’s 8th-year APEC membership. What is your assessment of the country’s participation in APEC activities. What about the development of Vietnam-APEC relationship and the results of cooperation between Vietnam and APEC member economies?
State President Nguyen Minh Triet: Joining APEC is a major step in Vietnam’s process of integration into the region and the world as APEC includes the most developed economies with high science and technology standards, advanced management methods and huge resources of foreign currency reserves.
There is no denying that many APEC member economies have become Vietnam’s leading partners in trade, investment and official development assistance (ODA). Becoming a partner of APEC member economies is also a consistent policy of the Vietnamese Party and State in the process of integrating deeper into the regional and the world economies.
Over the past eight years since Vietnam joined APEC, Vietnam has made important contributions to boosting cooperation among APEC member economies in many fields despite the country’s low development level, inexperience in integration and limit in human resources. Through such contributions, Vietnam has built long-term and cooperative relations with APEC in general and each APEC member economy in particular, taking advantage of different resources for national development.
General speaking, participating in APEC has greatly contributed to enhancing Vietnam’s image and position in the region and the world, as well as at major political and economic centres. At APEC 2006 in Hanoi, the exchange of high-level visits to Vietnam by leaders of China, the US, Russia, Japan and Chile will help accelerate bilateral cooperation relations for sustainable and long-term development.
With these achievements, Vietnam will continue to strengthen its cooperation relations with APEC member economies in the hope of bringing the country out of the underdeveloped country status to become an industrialised country by 2020 as defined at the 10th Party Congress.
Reporter: As host of the 14th APEC meeting, Vietnam has well organised many APEC meetings during the Year of APEC 2006. What will Vietnam do to promote the success of the Year of APEC 2006 and, together with APEC member economies, to build a dynamic community for sustainable development and prosperity?
State President Nguyen Minh Triet: Each APEC meeting has a common feature according to APEC norms, but it also reflects the traditional and cultural values of the host. The theme of APEC Vietnam 2006 is “Towards a dynamic community for sustainable development and prosperity”.
To concretize the theme into practical deeds, Vietnam has developed important initiatives to be submitted to the 14th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. They include the Hanoi Action Plan to implement the Busan Roadmap, APEC reforms and plan to reduce 5 percent of transaction costs. They are major contents of cooperation which will take a couple of years to implement. Therefore, Vietnam has actively cooperated with member economies, including Australia – host of APEC 2007 and Peru – host of APEC 2008, to identify priorities, long-term solutions and appropriate orientations for the purpose of continuing the implementation of such initiatives, plans and projects after they are approved at APEC 2006.
Reporter: Thank you very much.
