The main key for APEC is the ability to build a sense of togetherness as a community to ensure the success of achieving APEC's goals in future.Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto highlighted the significance of building the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) community as a key to the Asia-Pacific region's economic growth.
"The main key for APEC is the ability to build a sense of togetherness as a community to ensure the success of achieving APEC's goals in future," Suparmanto noted in an official statement here on Tuesday.
A sense of togetherness among APEC economies, as a community, will encourage them to attain their goals, he remarked while attending the APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) held virtually on Monday.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi also partook in the meeting.
Suparmanto noted that the ideals of APEC to create regional economic integrity and strengthen regional connectivity will be easily realized if it were able to create a sense of togetherness. The Bogor Goals have efficaciously laid down a strong basis for APEC to achieve the ideals.
The meeting discussed a follow-up to the concrete work programs of the APEC forum to support APEC's priorities in 2020, including handling the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraging economic recovery in the Asia-Pacific region.
A sense of togetherness among APEC economies, as a community, highlights the importance of directing APEC's focus on reducing developmental disparities among APEC economies and bridging the gap, especially in benefiting from the rapidly growing digital economy, he stated.
The principles of APEC, as a community, also play a pivotal role in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and economic restoration that are its main priorities, he stated.
"Indonesia continues to support APEC's efforts to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by improving policies to better facilitate trade and encourage the importance of collective efforts from all (APEC) economies to avoid mutually impeding actions that may worsen the impact of the pandemic on trade performance," he remarked.
Through the track record of APEC , which has demonstrated its role since 1989, Indonesia remains upbeat about APEC being able to continue its key agendas through various initiatives and capacity building. Hence, various challenges that may lie ahead in the region could be dealt with together, he affirmed.
"The work programs, agreed upon by APEC economies, are expected to bear concrete fruits to strengthen the regional economy and send a positive signal to the business climate that has, so far, been plagued with uncertainty over the COVID-19 pandemic," he stated.
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Translator: Sella Panduarsa G/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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