The meeting was attended by foreign and economy ministers and APEC heads of delegation from 21 member economies, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), as well as representatives from international and regional organizations.

 A Vietnamese delegation, led jointly by Nguyen Hong Dien, Party Central Committee member and Minister of Industry and Trade, and Nguyen Minh Hang, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in the meeting.

At the meeting, ministers conducted a comprehensive assessment of APEC cooperation in 2025, particularly the progress in implementing goals and action plans to realize the APEC Vision to 2040, and engaged in in-depth discussions on directions and concrete measures to further enhance APEC’s role across its three core pillars: Connectivity, Innovation, and Prosperity.

Sharing a common understanding of the WTO’s importance in promoting trade, the ministers emphasized that WTO commitments and rules form an indispensable part of the global trading system. They hailed efforts to deepen and advance WTO discussions on contemporary trade issues, and agreed on the need to continue strengthening economic connectivity, supporting members in enhancing their capacity to engage in comprehensive, high-quality trade agreements, with a view toward the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

The meeting also called for strengthened connectivity, accelerated structural reforms, removal of bottlenecks, and the consolidation of safe, self-reliant, sustainable, and open supply chains. Delegates spent plenty of time discussing solutions to effectively leverage opportunities from digital transformation, science and technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to enhance productivity, competitiveness, and the quality of growth, while minimizing risks during the development process.

The ministers agreed to step up cooperation and coordinated action in response to challenges directly affecting inclusive and sustainable growth. They called for accelerated implementation of APEC action plans and cooperation programs in key areas, including climate change response, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable sea-based economic development.

On the occasion of the meeting, the ministers presented APEC awards for innovative ideas and applications in bio‑circular‑green economy models. A Vietnamese representative was honored with the “Youth” category award for a concept that recycles organic waste into environmentally friendly ink products. 

On the theme of connectivity, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien highlighted key measures to ensure free, open, sustainable, and inclusive trade and investment in the Asia‑Pacific region. He called on APEC members to beef up cooperation, share experience, and provide technical support in building AI capacity, particularly in workforce training, labor supply‑demand matching, and enabling public access to AI tools at low or no cost. He also emphasized continuing to promote investment cooperation, green finance, and technology transfer, while supporting developing economies in applying digital and AI technologies in supply chain management to ensure seamless regional trade flows. In addition, he urged active progress on WTO reform, especially in dispute settlement mechanisms, to enhance the organization’s operational effectiveness.

At the meeting, Vietnam reported that it has ratified the Phase I Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, joined the Multi‑Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA), and reaffirmed its commitment to actively support and contribute to joint efforts to strengthen a fair, sustainable, and inclusive multilateral trading system.

On the theme of innovation and prosperity, Deputy FM Nguyen Minh Hang proposed several key directions for APEC to focus on to promote inclusive innovation and shared prosperity in the region. These include establishing a regional cooperation framework for emerging technologies to ensure AI and digital innovations serve people and drive inclusive growth; enhancing cooperation on labor mobility, human resource development, and sharing experience in addressing population aging; strengthening digital capacity so all generations can adapt, contribute, and benefit from the digital economy; promoting cross‑border co-operation in creative sectors to fully unlock human and community potential; investing in the creative ecosystem, supporting startups and micro, small, and medium enterprises, encouraging the mobility of creative experts, and transforming innovation and culture into powerful drivers for economic growth, job creation, and mutual understanding across the region.

The remarks of the Vietnamese delegation were shared and highly appreciated by other members and reflected in the meeting’s documents and declarations.

The 36th APEC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is a key event of the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, serving to prepare the agenda for the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting scheduled for October 31-November 1.

President Luong Cuong arrives in RoK for APEC Economic Leaders’ Week

VOV.VN - President Luong Cuong and a Vietnamese high-level delegation arrived at the Gimhae Air Base Gimhae in Busan, the Republic of Korea (RoK) at 2:50 p.m (local time) on October 29, to attend the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Week and conduct bilateral meetings at the invitation of President Lee Jae Myung.

Vietnamese President departs for 2025 APEC Economic Leaders' Week in RoK 

VOV.VN - President Luong Cuong and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Hanoi on October 29 for the Republic of Korea to attend the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Gyeongju and carry out bilateral activities at the invitation of President Lee Jae Myung.