(VOVWORLD) -The 3rd APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM3) and related meetings have recorded important results after 13 days of meeting. The participants have agreed on agendas and documents to be submitted to APEC leaders at the APEC summit in Da Nang in November.
SOM3 is the last important meeting to prepare for the APEC summit week in Da Nang in November. SOM1 and SOM2 were successfully held in Nha Trang and Hanoi.
Practical agenda and outcomes
Representatives from 21 APEC economies attended SOM3, which consisted of 75 meetings and discussions on trade and investment liberalization, trade facilitation, cyber economy, economic, financial, and social inclusion, quality growth, small and medium-sized enterprises, science, technology, creativity, anti-corruption, healthcare, emergency response, and improving integration capacity.
Vietnam has proposed cooperative initiatives, including the organization of a Food Security Week and High-level Dialogue in Can Tho city. With the Asia-Pacific region suffering from climate change, ensuring food security and developing a resilient agricultural sector are shared concerns of APEC members.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said: “At the dialogue, we adopted a framework plan on food security in association with sustainable agricultural development adaptable to climate change. We adopted a program on harmonious rural and urban development, and a framework for a ministerial level conference on sustainable agricultural development in the Asia-Pacific region. These programs will inspire startups to engage in the agricultural sector.”
A highlight event was the 7th High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy, which discussed the effectiveness efficiency of public investment in healthcare, a financial-economic mechanism for APEC, a policy dialogue on healthcare for the elderly, appropriate policies and solutions for sustainable medical finance towards inclusive healthcare for all. The meeting was aimed at realizing APEC leaders’ commitment to building a healthy Asia-Pacific region. Vietnam has taken the opportunity to tighten cooperation with countries leading the world in healthcare, including the US and Japan.
Ready for APEC summit week
The outcomes of SOM3 and related meetings will lay a foundation for discussing the APEC vision toward 2020 at the APEC Summit Week in Da Nang city this November.