In her opening remarks at the event, jointly held by the Secretariat of the National Committee for APEC 2027 and US Department of State, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang said that over the past 40 years, APEC has become the region's leading economic forum for its important contributions to regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
Despite global upheavals, APEC remains a major platform for dialogue, cooperation, and consensus-building among member economies, and has demonstrated strong adaptability to development trends and global shifts. Vietnam appreciates being given the opportunity to host APEC for the third time and is committed to making APEC 2027 a success, Hang added.
She said, "For Vietnam, hosting APEC 2027 comes at a pivotal moment, as we enter a new era for national development, aiming at double-digit GDP growth in the next decade, and a new growth model driven by innovation, productivity, and sustainability. We've advancing a comprehensive and modern diplomacy to a new height, guided by our foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship development, diversification and multilateralization of external relations and proactive international integration. And in pursuing this vision, APEC and the broader Asia-Pacific region remain a key priority for Vietnam."
At the conference, John W. McIntyre, Chargé D'affaires of the US Embassy in Hanoi applauded the role Vietnam plays in APEC as it successfully hosted two APEC forums in 2006 and 2017.
"APEC this year is also a catalytic moment. They bring thousands of officials, business leaders, and experts into the host's economy. That provides a powerful platform to deepen trade and investment tie, showcase domestic reform, and attract new partners. A well-run and ambitious host year will send a strong signal that Vietnam is a reliable and sophisticated partner for long-term economic cooperation," McIntyre said.
Representatives from relevant ministries, sectors, and international experts evaluated progress on APEC policy frameworks and discussed future priorities. They also exchanged experiences in capacity building for Vietnamese officials in agenda-setting, coordinating meetings, and negotiating documents. They also identified priorities and initiatives that Vietnam can promote as APEC host.
