San Francisco (VNA) – President Vo Van Thuong highlighted three lessons fromAPEC’s success for the future while addressing the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meetingthat opened in San Francisco, the US, on November 17.

President Thuong said APEC is a leading regional cooperation and connection forumthat brings substantive benefits to people. Three lessons can be drawn fromAPEC’s success for the future. They are the openness and goodwill of all partiesto understand and overcome differences, find common voice and promotecommon interests, the vision and strategic thinking of generations of leaders thathave correctly positioned the role of Asia and the Pacific and APEC, and thesupport and companionship of the business community and people.

Regarding APEC’s operations, the President emphasised maintaining and consolidatingimportant achievements on the liberalisation and facilitation of trade andinvestment in the Asia-Pacific region and the globe, creating cooperation frameworkssupporting member economies to take advantage of development opportunities andpromote growth momentum, and cooperating to build a resilient region, each resilient economy, ready to respond to challenges.

He said that APEC members need to be open,sincere, and have constructive dialogue to increase understanding, narrowdifferences, and create consensus.

The President stressed that after 25 years of joining APEC, with its desire tocontinue contributing to the APEC process, Vietnam proposes to host activitiesof the APEC Year 2027.

APEC leaders highly appreciated and strongly supported Vietnam's proposal, andagreed to add it into the meeting’s joint statement.

At the meeting, delegates evaluated 30 years of APECcooperation and directions for the new period, and highlighted the forum'simportant contributions to promoting global economic growth over recentdecades.

Regarding trade, investment and connection cooperation, they committed topromoting a free, open, transparent and inclusive trade and investmentenvironment, maintain markets open and resolve supply chain disruptions.

They affirmed to continue supporting the rules-based multilateral trade systemwith the central role of the World Trade Organisation, underlined theimportance of establishing a non-discriminatory digital ecosystem for companiesand consumers, and agreed to accelerate the implementation of the Internet economicroadmap/ APEC digital economy.

They also agreed to reduce and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies and acceleratethe transition to clean energy to achieve the global goal of reducinggreenhouse gas emissions to zero.

On the occasion, the meeting approved the major principles on just energytransition and food security in APEC cooperation, the framework and action planto reduce natural risks, and agreed to speed up the implementation of thebiogreen circular economy model and integrate sustainable and inclusivecontents in APEC activities.

President Vo Van Thuong, his wife and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation leftSan Francisco on November 17 evening, concluding their trip to attend the APECEconomic Leaders’ Week in the United States./.