The government and people of Viet Nam have done excellent preparation for APEC 2017, and Papua New Guinea wants to learn from Viet Nam, said Rimbink Pato Obe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Papua New Guinea, the host of APEC 2018.

Rimbink Pato Obe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Papua New Guinea (Photo: VNA)

Talking to a Viet Nam News Agency reporter on the sidelines of the 29^th APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Da Nang on Wednesday, the minister elaborated that he enjoys his stay in Viet Nam, and the service here is fantastic.

He also affirmed “everything in terms of preparation for the next APEC Year in Papua New Guinea is on track”.

Papua New Guinea sets 3 key areas: improving connectivity, deepening regional economic integration; promoting inclusive and sustainable growth; and strengthening economic growth through structural reform as priorities for next year’s APEC, he revealed.

Regarding the AMM’s recommendations to be submitted to the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on Friday, Rimbink Pato Obe said all of them are important.

“We are members of the APEC community, we are part of inclusiveness, part of connectivity, trade liberalisation, inflow and outflow investment, trade within the APEC economies so anything enhances trade and investment between APEC economies we will support,” he said.

He also said he expects all recommendations to be adopted because APEC’s future will go through all of them.

“If there is a challenge in relation to one or two recommendations, I think our leaders are working on it and we are looking for them reaching consensus,” he noted.

Talking about relations with Viet Nam, the diplomat said “Viet Nam is a country of great history and we want to learn from it”.

Viet Nam has coffee, cocoa, some of the fisheries and training facilities that his country is in need, as a result, Papua New Guinea wants to connect better now with Viet Nam, he added.

(Source: VNA/ DA NANG Today)