"Let us work together to continue to make our region the engine of global growth."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Russian government handed over the APEC (Asia and Pacific Economic Cooperation) chairmanship to Indonesia at the end of the APEC CEO Summit in Vladivostok, Russia, on September 8, which was attended by more than 700 CEOs of the Asia-Pacific Region`s largest companies.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as the next chairman of the APEC forum summit, was present at the APEC summit in Russia.
The agenda for the APEC CEO Summit 2012, outlined by Russia, included trade and investment liberalization, regional economic integration, strengthening food security, establishing reliable supply chains and intensive cooperation to foster innovative growth.
As for the agenda for 2013, President Yudhoyono in his keynote address at the APEC CEO Summit in Vladivostok revealed that Indonesia would set a target of promoting regional cooperation as one of the foundations for the world`s economic growth.
"As the chair of APEC next year, Indonesia will set a target of achievement for regional economic cooperation which is relevant to business communities. With pleasure, I inform you that the theme for the APEC Summit in Indonesia will be `Resilient Asia Pacific: The Engine of Global Growth`," President Yudhoyono stated.
Indonesia will invite major businessmen from Asia and the Pacific region to the APEC CEO forum to be held in Bali in October 2013.
"Let us work together to continue to make our region the engine of global growth. And I look forward to seeing you all in Bali in October next year," Yudhoyono noted.
On his way home from Russia, President Yudhoyono praised the Russian government for the arrangements at the APEC Summit, particularly the facilities provided.
"Transportation management was done very well. Physical facilities were good. It is not easy to prepare accommodations for the APEC event," he said.
President Yudhoyono, along with several of his ministers, had taken a look at the media center during the APEC Summit with a view of preparing for the 2013 summit in Bali. More than 1,000 journalists from 21 APEC members covered the event.
"The media facility is very good and therefore, we have come here to study it and learn from it," Industry Minister MS Hidayat said earlier.
Yudhoyono said it would be impossible for Indonesia to compete with the summit hosted by Russia in terms of facilities, which cost US$23 billion.
However, the President told his ministers that the Bali summit next year should at least be as monumental as the Bogor meeting of 1994.
In making preparations for the implementation of the APEC Summit next year, Indonesia will be focusing particularly on the substance of the conference and the logistical aspect.
Therefore, President Yodhoyono reminded that the time allocation for each meeting should be adequate to allow the summit participants to address subjects properly.
Indonesia hosted the second APEC Economic Leaders` Meeting (AELM) in Bogor in November 1994 that produced the `Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific by 2010 for developed economies and 2020 for developing economies.`
The Bogor Goals have since become the guidelines for the development of economic cooperation among APEC member nations.
The head of state also stated that Indonesia will make efforts to ensure that issues discussed at the 2013 APEC Summit in Bali are applicable.
Finding operable agendas is important so that they can be adopted for immediate implementation by the leaders after the summit.
"I wish, when I talk as chairman, that energy and food security cooperation programs could be made simple enough for implementation, such as those on how to increase production or when we complain about decline in production, research should be made more realistic to deal with it, besides policy coordination," he said.
As for the supporting facilities, a number of infrastructure development and renovation projects are being carried out in Bali.
"The expansion project of Ngurah Rai international airport and the construction of Nusa Dua highway project are currently underway," PT Jasa Marga Bali Toll spokesman, Drajad H Suseno told Detik Finance on Sunday.
Other projects being implemented to support the APEC Summit 2013 are the constructions of the Dewa Ruci Underpass and the Nusa Dua Conference Hall as the meeting`s venue.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during her meeting with President Yudhoyono in Jakarta recently, expressed her government`s support for Indonesia`s chairmanship of APEC in 2013.
"The US support to Indonesia`s chairmanship of APEC in 2013 was also conveyed, as we all know that Indonesia will chair the APEC summit next year," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said after accompanying Clinton, after she paid a courtesy call on President Yudhoyono.
APEC has become the pre-eminent economic forum in the Asia-Pacific region. Its primary purpose is to facilitate economic growth and prosperity in the region, with the vision of creating a seamless regional economy.
The idea of APEC was firstly publicly broached by former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke during a speech in Seoul, South Korea in January 1989.
Later that year, 12 Asia-Pacific economies met in Canberra, Australia to establish APEC. The founding members are: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and the United States.
China, Hong Kong, China and Chinese Taipei joined in 1991.
Mexico and Papua New Guinea followed in 1993. Chile acceded in 1994. And in 1998, Peru, Russia and Vietnam joined, taking the full membership to 21.
After the APEC Summit in Bali in October 2013, China will play host to the APEC Leaders` Meeting in 2014, to be followed by the Philippines in 2015, Peru in 2016 and Malaysia in 2020.
(T.F001/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
Reporter: by Fardah
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
