The photos capture major APEC events in the year such as APEC Senior Officials’
Meetings (SOMs), the APEC Concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting (CSOM), the
Vietnam Business Summit, the APEC CEO Summit, the 29th APEC Ministerial Meeting,
welcome ceremonies for APEC leaders and other sidelines activities.
Director of the Da Nang Museum Huynh Dinh Quoc Thien said the exhibition
reflects the common interest of APEC member economies in seeking new momentums
for regional integration, linkage and economic growth and in fostering a shared
future of peace, stability, development and prosperity.
It also contributes to affirming the prestige and position of Vietnam in general
and Da Nang city in particular in regional and international arenas, especially
Asia-Pacific, he added.
The event, co-organised by the Da Nang city Department of Culture and Sports and
the Da Nang Union of Literature and Arts Associations, runs from February 1-5.
This was the second time Vietnam had hosted the APEC Year, with the peak being
the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang city.
Hosting the APEC Year 2017, Vietnam was the first country to welcome Chinese
Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping right after the 19th Congress
of the Communist Party of China, and US President Donald Trump in his first year
of office.
On the occasion, the country established comprehensive partnership with Canada,
held nearly 50 meetings and exchanges with leaders of APEC member economies to
continue upgrading bilateral ties.
Foreign friends praised outstanding activities during the APEC Year 2017 hosted
by 10 cities and provinces nationwide, which afforded them a chance to learn
about local culture, people and specialties in the country.
As many as 20 documents were adopted during the year, eight of them were
approved during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week.
In particular, the Da Nang Declaration on promoting free and open trade and
investment and supporting multilateral trade reaffirmed APEC’s key role as
growth dynamism that initiates economic connectivity initiatives and a leading
economic cooperation mechanism in the region, according to Permanent Deputy
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, who is also Deputy Chairman of the APEC National
Committee 2017 and Chairman of the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting 2017.
During the event, Vietnam held a dialogue between APEC leaders and ASEAN for the
first time, thereby facilitating collaboration between the two mechanisms to
create a new driving force for regional growth and connectivity. Vietnam was
also the first host country to be invited by G-20 to join all activities during
the year.
Source: VNA