Apec Aims To Revive WTO Talks
By Hadi DP Mahmud

Hanoi - Brunei's delegates joined senior officials from Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum member-economies in finding ways to reignite the delayed multilateral trade talks.

The first formal event of the Apec forum kicked off with the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) yesterday at the new National Convention Centre here.

Lim Jock Hoi, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade led Brunei's delegation to the two-day meet of Apec's 21 member economies.

The SOM will conclude a series of meetings in preparation for the Apec Ministerial Meeting on November 15 and 16 and the Apec Leaders Summit from November 18 to19.

Brunei's delegates took part in negotiations involving the unlocking of the delayed World Trade Organisation negotiations and the adoption of Apec model measures for free trade deals.

Senior officials will fine-tune Apec's Hanoi Action Plan and this will be considered and endorsed by ministers and leaders. The plan will include measures to implement the Busan Roadmap, with time frames for activities towards the Bogor Goals of free and open economies by 2010 and 2020 for developed and developing members respectively.

Vietnam's Deputy Foreign Minister Le Cong Phung said the main focus would be to revive stalled WTO talks on breaking down global trade barriers. "Apec can lead the way for all members of the WTO to reignite negotiations and conclude the Doha Development Agenda next year. Its members can provide an accurate gauge ofglobal economic views and ideas, so if Apec can identify a way forward, this path will most likely be suitable to the broader WTO' membership," said Le.

An estimated 7,500 delegates from Apec member-economies and about 1,000 business executives are attending the conference themed "Towards a Dynamic Community for Sustainable Development and Prosperity".

Hanoi's 15,000 police are on duty and armed officers have been posted outside the capital's eight five-star hotels which will accommodate the leaders. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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