In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency on November 8, Mr Khiem said rehearsals on protocol functions, arrangements for security, traffic safety, media and art performances have been carefully laid out and co-ordinated, with measures in place for revising errors and ensuring the security of delegates.

"Vietnam is ready to welcome delegates and distinguished guests for the APEC 2006 Economic Leaders' Week," he stressed.

"The 14th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will discuss two major issues: (i) boosting trade and investment and (ii) factors ensuring dynamism, growth and sustainable development among APEC members so as to strengthen co-ordination in action; consolidate multilateral trade system; promote trade, investment, economic, technical and human security co-operation; and enhance the association between APEC and other economic forums in the region and the world," the Deputy PM said.

Vietnam has put forward various initiatives and proposals to compliment APEC's motto "Towards a Dynamic Community for Sustainable Development and Prosperity," which have been welcomed by other APEC members.

The initiatives include the Hanoi Action Plan to Implement the Busan Roadmap; Reforming the APEC in an efficient and dynamic way; The programme to reduce five per cent of trade transaction costs between 2007 and 2010; The Hoi An Declaration on boosting tourism cooperation; and Public-private dialogues on anti-corruption and ensuring transparency in business transactions.

According to the Deputy PM, remarkable progress has been made in trade and investment facilitation, one of the three pillars for APEC cooperation and an efficient tool for accelerating the realisation of the Bogor Goals by 2010 for developed economies and by 2020 for developing economies.

In 2005, APEC approved the Busan Roadmap which underlines the importance of the Busan Agenda on business facilitation. It emphasises the need for the APEC to co-ordinate with the APEC Business Advisory Council to map out a programme on strengthening investment liberalisation and facilitation in the region.

To realise the target, the APEC Investment Experts' Group has drawn up an investment liberalisation and facilitation programme aimed at defining investment barriers so as to take appropriate measures, assess the efficiency of investment policies, and increase the capacity of members, the Deputy PM said.

In addition, APEC is checking and revising a set of investment principles drafted in 1994 to make it appropriate with new forms of business and the new investment environment.

The Busan Roadmap is one of the priorities of APEC 2006, aimed at pushing up the process of realising the Bogor Goals. In line with this, Vietnam has mapped out the Hanoi Action Plan to make the Busan Roadmap practical and specific with detailed time schedule for realisation, the Deputy PM said.

The Hanoi Action Plan, if approved by APEC economic leaders at the 14th meeting, would become one of the most important achievements of APEC Vietnam 2006, he said.

"This would demonstrate APEC's determination to realise its commitments on trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation for the common benefits of sustainable development and prosperity," he added.