Da Nang (Vietnam), Nov 9 (Prensa Latina) High officials of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum unanimously agreed today to keep studying the Plan of Action for the application of the Lima Declaration on the regional Free Trade Agreement (FTAAP).
Gathered in this city of central Vietnam, where tomorrow will be held the summit of APEC, the ministers of Trade and Foreign Relati9ons of the Community postponed for 2018 a decision on that issue.
The minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnamk, Tran Tuan Anh, told reporters that the postponement is due to the complexity of applying the plan between 21 economies of four continents with unequal levels of socio-econonic development and different priorities and objectives.
APEC is formed by Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, South Korea, United States, Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papúa Nueva Guinea, Perú, Rusia, Singapur, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Tuan Anh commented that in 2017 those implicated studied and coordinated the basic aspects and priorities to model the FTAAP according to the Lima Declaration approved during the previous APEC Summit, held in the Peruvian capital in 2016).
But despite their efforts, there is still a gap in the selection of specific categories, areas, programs and contents to execute the Plan of Action, he alleged.
On this date, ministers of Trade and Foreign Relations adopted four important documents that tomorrow will be submitted to the approval of leaders of the community.
Among these were those referred to the facilitation of trans border electronic trade and the sustainable and innovating development of micro, small and medium enterprises.
Also, those concerning plans of action about food security and climate change and on rural-urban development contributing to food security and development quality.
These and other preparatory events of the community Summit have shown a marked trend to multilateralism, free trade and integration.
APEC was founded in 1989 with the purpose of profiting from the increasing interdependency of the regional economy that, together, represent 59 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the planet and 48 percent of world trade.
Source: Plenglish
Key words: lima declaration, Asia-Pacific, FTA, under study
