(VOVworld) - Vietnam hosts this year Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum following its first hosting of the event 11 years ago. APEC 2017 marks Vietnam’s new achievements in international integration. 

After more than 25 years of formation and development, the APEC forum has confirmed its role as a leading regional and world economic cooperative mechanism towards trade and investment liberalization and cooperation trends. In an ever-changing world, APEC is an absolute mechanism to secure peace, stability and cooperation for prosperity, as Vietnam wishes to reflect in its strategy during the APEC Year.

The APEC Year theme of “Creating new driving force for a common future” defines members’ priority to seek for new momentum for better economic and trade growth as well as cooperation in new areas and regional connectivity. This will consolidate the Asia Pacific region of peace, stability, development and prosperity. Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, Alan Bollard praised Vietnam’s role in hosting the event:“It is a challenging year  for  Vietnam to be hosting. We are pleased with that you have picked up that challenge.  The Peru Summit sent a message of unanimous agreement on the movement of globalization. We expect to see Vietnam leading further work on the way that APEC goes forward, which is voluntary consensus and incremental. We are not a legally-binding institution like TPP. And we expect some of those will happen with the work program for the free trade area for Asia and Pacific.”

Foreign friends’ trust in Vietnam is conducive to its achievements after 30 years of renewal and active contribution within APEC and other multilateral mechanisms. Ambassador Nguyen Nguyet Nga, Senior Advisor to Viet Nam's APEC 2017 National Secretariat, said Vietnam’s upcoming initiatives will be more proactive in  APEC:“Existing initiatives focus on APEC priorities in terms of growth and connectivity requirements, especially quality in growth. This will be an area for Vietnam’s initiatives and in line with our needs. Vietnam will make initiatives to support small and medium sized enterprises as well as vocational training in digital era.”

Vietnam’s hosting of the APEC Year represents Vietnam’s key foreign relations objective and its determination in international integration, making Vietnam’s major contribution to the forum towards Vietnam’s 20^thanniversary of its APEC membership. Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son says this is an opportunity for partners and businesses to foster friendship and cooperation:“The APEC Year 2017 will be a chance for us to show our economic image of renovation, dynamism with abundant potential and active mindset in international integration. This will promote the image of Vietnamese peace-loving and friendship, where local businesses and people could contribute to APEC cooperation for practical benefits.”