President Sang speaks at APEC 2015 CEO Summit

This most important event of the Asia Pacific business community is held annually as part the APEC Summit Week aiming to create plentiful opportunities for businesses to discuss issues of shared concern and give recommendation to APEC leaders.

In his November 17 speech, President Sang called for greater joint efforts to build a peaceful, stable and prosperous community, saying that the signing of many free trade agreements (FTAs) will create a new growth engine for the region to maintain a leading role in the growth and global economic integration.

“To reach the goal for inclusive and sustainable growth, the Asia - Pacific region are still facing numerous challenges and instability factors such as declining growth of some regional economic locomotives, poverty, widening gaps of development, climate change, natural disasters, aging population and rapid urbanization.

Glowingly speaking of the role of businesses in promoting growth in the region, President Sang urged businesses to raise social responsibility, continue to support the economies and people in sustainable development and improve self-reliance capacity   and boost green investment, green tourism and green supply chains.

Businesses need to enhance technological transfer and application to help communities and economies with forecast, prevention, response and better recovery after shocks and natural disasters, Sang said.

Talking to business representatives about the economic prospects of Vietnam, the State leader stated that Vietnam is intensifying institutional and administrative reform, and improving the legal system and the business environment.

With the finalization of negotiations on four FTAs in 2015, Vietnam is becoming an important connection point of production networks and regional and global value chains.  To host the APEC Year 2017, Vietnam will continue to work hand in hand with APEC members to stimulate inclusive and sustainable growth, Sang added.

Businesses appreciated Vietnam’s extensive innovation efforts in restructuring the economy, ensuring macroeconomic stability and sustained growth. They expressed confidence that with the deeper steps of international integration, especially joining the next generation FTAs, Vietnam will continue to be an attractive destination for businesses. They also reiterated their resolve to expand business and investment activities in Vietnam to seize new opportunities for broader cooperation in the time ahead.

They also put forth recommendations on policy measures to further facilitate investments in the Southeast Asian nation.

With the theme of "Creating the future: Better, Stronger, Together", the focus of this year’s APEC 2015 CEO Summit is on the major issues affecting development prospects of the region such as geopolitical and economic challenges, urbanization, trends of regional economic connectivity, the role of health and education in growth, creative innovation, starts-up and regional growth prospects.