The meetings reached high consensus on the four priorities proposed by Vietnam for APEC Year 2017, namely promoting sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth; deepening regional economic integration; strengthening micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)' competitiveness and innovation in the digital age; enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture in response to climate change, Vietnamese Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister, APEC 2017 SOM Chair Bui Thanh Son said. Speaking at a press conference after the closing of SOM 1, Son said APEC member economies paid due attention to SOM1 and related meetings as they were the first official gatherings of APEC in 2017, which set out cooperation orientations for the region throughout the year.
The meetings were an important occasion for APEC to show its resolve to step up cooperation in dealing with common issues and challenges, said Son.
Under the theme of "Creating new dynamism, fostering a shared future", as many as 60 meetings, workshops and dialogues were held with the participation of almost 2,000 delegates from the 21 APEC member economies, regional and international organizations as well as scholars and entrepreneurs.
At the meetings, other initiatives raised cover a range of fields such as promoting inclusion of development in Asia-Pacific, human resources development in the digital age, speeding up the supporting industries, transnational e-commerce, sustainable tourism development in the context of climate change, and dialogues on anti-corruption and trade fraud prevention.
Participants also reached consensus and endorsed the work plan for the whole year, including SOMs, Ministerial Meetings and the APEC Economic Leaders Week in Vietnam's central Da Nang city in November.
Son said the outcomes of SOM 1 indicate that cooperation, connectivity, and trade and investment liberalization for a developed and prosperous region, remains a mainstream in Asia-Pacific.
The members will continue discussing major issues at SOM 2 in Vietnamese capital Hanoi in May so that the APEC cooperation could bring more practical benefits to people and businesses, he said.