APEC forum leaders’ meeting reaffirms commitment to close collaboration

2024-10-31 07:47:02 News & Society

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PenzaNews. The leaders of the economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum adopted a joint statement following an extraordinary informal meeting chaired by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and held via videoconference on July 16.

The meeting focused on tasks facing the Asia-Pacific countries and related to overcoming the global health and economic problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In APEC Economic Leaders? Statement they recognized the role of extensive immunization against COVID-19 as a global public good and promised not only to expand vaccine manufacture but also to encourage the voluntary transfer of vaccine production technologies on mutually agreed terms. This, as Russian President Vladimir Putin reminded the meeting participants, is currently being actively pursued by Russia.

?We are actively promoting the local manufacturing of our vaccines abroad based on technology transfer. Contracts have been signed with several foreign companies, including from the APEC economies, for manufacturing the Sputnik V vaccine in a total amount of over 800 million doses a year. We believe that it is vital to continue working together to create new facilities for the production of vaccines in the Asia Pacific Region, and also to remove administrative and other obstacles that might hinder their production and deliveries,? the Russian leader said.

Moreover, the parties promised to support their economies ?for as long as necessary.?

?As we move beyond the immediate crisis, we will work to ensure all our people have the opportunities and resources they need to adapt to change ? no one should be left behind,? the document says.

In addition, it emphasizes the need to form ?a free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent and predictable trade and investment environment.?

Commenting on the summit results, Nobuhide Hatasa, Professor, Osaka University of Economics and Law, drew attention to the fact that for the first time in the nearly 30-year history of APEC, the leaders held an extraordinary meeting.

?The most important objective of this ad-hoc meeting was to deliver strong messages of the APEC leaders to the international community that they work together to overcome COVID-19 and rebuilt the devastated world economy. Pandemic of the corona viral disease has been a big threat to the global economy, and currently vaccination is the only realistic and effective solution that reduces the chance of infection and then helps bring economic activities back to normal. They consequently agreed to continuously support the voluntary transfer of vaccine and global vaccine sharing efforts,? the expert told PenzaNews.

He also expressed the view that the APEC Informal Leaders? Retreat was a timely and perfect occasion for New Zealand to increase a sense of its presence in the Asia-Pacific region and extend its leadership in the global society.

?New Zealand is one of the honors countries that successfully combat a spread of coronavirus and minimize the number of infected citizens, and in this respect Prime Minister Ardern is highly evaluated for her skills as an administrative leader. New Zealand is an advanced country and is in the position of assisting and financing international movements of providing vaccines to all people in the world,? Nobuhide Hatasa added.

Rajiv Biswas, APAC Chief Economist, IHS Markit, highlighted among the summit outcomes a statement by APEC leaders about their commitment to improving global vaccine sharing initiatives.

PenzaNews agency

Read the full article: https://penzanews.ru/en/analysis/67199-2021