DA NANG – 10 November 2017. The Secretary-General of ASEAN H.E. Le Luong Minh took part in the APEC and ASEAN Informal Dialogue under the theme “Partnering for New Dynamism for a Comprehensively Connected and Integrated Asia-Pacific”, held on 10 November 2017 in Da Nang, Viet Nam, on the sidelines of the 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
The Dialogue was chaired by H.E. Tran Dai Quang, President of the Social Republic of Viet Nam, Chair of the 2017 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, with the participation of APEC and all 10 ASEAN Leaders; and the ASEAN Secretary-General.
The Dialogue aimed at providing fresh impetus to cooperation and integration in the Asia Pacific at a time when the region is at a critical juncture with profound changes. It provided an opportunity for the APEC and ASEAN Leaders to exchange views on cooperation and synergies between the two mechanisms in addressing common challenges and reinforcing a sustainable, transparent and highly-adaptable regional economic architecture.
In his statement at the Informal Dialogue, the ASEAN Secretary-General emphasised that both ASEAN and APEC shared beliefs in the value of an open and integrated economic region. The Secretary-General also underscored that in the context of the fragility of global recovery with emerging trends creating challenges to globalization and multilateralism, both ASEAN and APEC should stand firm in supporting the multilateral trading system, while advancing their respective regional endeavours. The Secretary-General also stated “To seize common opportunities and responding to common challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, both ASEAN and APEC will benefit from shared learning of best practices and experiences. Moving forward, ASEAN and APEC can achieve more by working closer together.”
Prior to the Dialogue, the Secretary-General also attended the 29th APEC Ministerial Meeting held on 8 November 2017. ASEAN is one of the three official observers of the APEC.
