President Truong Tan Sang poses photo with senior leaders at 2011 APEC Summit in Hawaii (Photo: Nguyen Khang/VNA)

(VOV) – Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang has left for the 20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting in Russia to discuss regional economic growth. VOV’s Hoang Dung reports….

Initiated by Australia, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum was established in 1989 with 12 initial members. It now has 21 members, nine of them key economies accounting for 59% of the world population and contributing half of the world’s GDP and 57% of the world’s trade.

This year, the APEC forum takes place in the context of numerous complicated political and security developments, a stunned global economy that’s is rallying slowly and posing many risks, and a Doha round that hasn’t seen any progress. But realizing their significant economic role, APEC members have agreed to outline a cooperation direction for this year to boost growth and generate more jobs. APEC will focus on liberalizing trade and investment, combining regional economies, ensuring food security, establishing reliable supply chains, and enhancing growth and creativity.

Since Vietnam joined the bloc in 1998, it has been a dynamic and responsible member, and has actively boosted economic and trade cooperation, hosted the 2006 APEC Forum, and organized the 14^th APEC Summit in Hanoi where long-term cooperative directions for the group were worked out. Vietnam has conscientiously implemented APEC cooperation commitments and more than 70 initiatives.  

Through this visit, President Sang will reinforce strategic ties between Vietnam and Russia, and demonstrate its increasing global integration. Mr. Sang will deliver a speech on food security at the APEC Summit and at the APEC CEO Summit.