The ministers welcomed Maria during the APEC Ministerial Meeting held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, according to a written statement issued by the APEC Secretariat and received here on Thursday.
Maria will begin her three-year term of office on the first of January 2019 following the conclusion of two consecutive terms held by Alan Bollard of New Zealand. During her tenure, Dr Maria will serve a membership that accounts for half of the global trade and 60 percent of world`s gross domestic product as well as incoming hosts, Chile, Malaysia, and New Zealand.
Papua New Guinea`s Minister of Foreign Affairs Rimbink Pato formally introduced Maria to the APEC ministers at their meeting in Port Moresby on Thursday.
"APEC ministers welcome Dr Sta Maria`s appointment. Her decades of experience and record of academic and professional excellence make her an excellent choice to take on such a challenging position during a period of great change in the region and globally," Minister Pato explained.
"As the next executive director, she will build on the strengths instituted by her predecessors. She will be in the right place and at the right time to help guide APEC`s work in advancing our agenda of inclusive growth," he stated.
Minister Pato also congratulated and thanked former executive director of the APEC Secretariat Alan Bollard of New Zealand for his excellent service.
Maria joined the Malaysian civil service in 1981 as part of what was then called the Ministry of Trade and Industry. She went on to serve in various capacities for 35 years, including stints in administrative and human development work.
Her role as secretary-general of Malaysia`s Ministry of International Trade and Industry from 2010 to 2016 has made her familiar with bilateral, regional, and multilateral fora, and she often took the lead in negotiations involving the ASEAN, APEC, and the World Trade Organization on behalf of the Malaysian government.
"Building consensus is what drives the implementation of all successful negotiations and that principle is at the heart of what APEC does so well. I believe that an organization is as good and as effective as the team," Maria stated.
Maria will be the third executive director of the APEC Secretariat appointed to a fixed three-year term, and the first woman to hold the position.
(T.Y012/B/KR-BSR/A/R013) 15-11-2018 18:37:37
Reporter: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Editor: Andi Abdussalam
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
