Over 10,000 to converge in Singapore for APEC leaders' week

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-07 19:37

Over 10,000 delegates and international media are expected to converge in Singapore during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week from Nov. 8 to 15, the APEC Senior Officials' Meeting Chair's Office said on Thursday.

As host economy of the APEC 2009 meetings, Singapore will welcome leaders, ministers, and officials from the 21 APEC member economies as well as the international media.

The APEC Leaders' Week meetings will start with the Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting (CSOM). Held from Nov. 8 to 9, the CSOM is the third and final meeting for the APEC Senior Officials for this year.

The CSOM will be followed by the APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM), from Nov. 11 to 12, and the APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting (FMM) on Nov. 12.

The APEC Leaders' Week culminates with the 17th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM). To be held at the Istana, Singapore President's office, over two days (Nov. 14 and 15), the Leaders of the 21 APEC member economies will discuss long-term economic issues as the world emerges from recession.

Throughout the year, APEC has been advancing its core agenda of connecting the region by accelerating economic liberalization "at the border," improving the ease of doing business "behind the border" and enhancing supply chain connectivity "across the border." CSOM and AMM will review the progress made and endorse the next steps for these areas.

At their meeting next week, the Leaders from the 21 APEC economies will focus on longer-term growth issues and how to build a more connected and competitive Asia-Pacific region in the post-crisis landscape.

Coming after the Pittsburgh G-20 Summit in September, which agreed to work towards a sustained and stable recovery, this meeting is an opportunity for Asia-Pacific Leaders to keep up the momentum for reform.

They will discuss the new growth paradigms needed to foster more balanced, inclusive, and sustainable growth in the region. They will also discuss how to bring to the next level APEC's core agenda of promoting economic integration in the region, exchanging views on the long-term prospect of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, including the possible pathways to achieve this vision.

All in, leaders, ministers and officials will focus on achieving a sustained recovery and advancing the next wave of economic integration.