Senior officials from 21 member economies

Hanoi (VNA) – Senior officials from 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum have reached a consensus on how to boost
economic growth at a two-day meeting behind closed doors in Singapore .

At the meeting, which ended on Nov. 9, senior APEC officials focused their
discussions on the global financial crisis, trade protectionism, multilateral
trade mechanisms and regional economic integration.

The officials were unanimous on how to promote comprehensive, sustainable and
balanced growth, accelerate regional economic integration, oppose all forms of
trade protectionism and support an early conclusion of the Doha round of world
trade negotiations.

The meeting endorsed a report to be submitted to the APEC ministers’ meeting
scheduled for Nov. 10-12.

One of the main aims of the meeting was to prepare an agenda and the necessary
documentation for subsequent ministerial and leaders meetings.

The meeting between APEC’s leaders is due to take place on Nov. 14-15, where the
participants will discuss the global economic downturn, opportunities for the
world’s economies, ways of hastening economic recovery, countering protectionism
and combating climate change.

The 21 APEC economies are home to more than 2.7 billion people and account for
approximately 54 percent of global GDP and 44 percent of world trade.-Enditem