Avian Influenza Ministerial Meeting Webcast and News Photographs Available

The APEC Avian Influenza Pandemic Ministerial Meeting was opened in Da Nang today by the Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Mr. Vu Khoan.

In his opening address to delegates the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the global spread of avian influenza and hopes for regional cooperation to deal with the threat.

"Nowadays, the epidemic has quickly spread from Asia to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and is likely to hit America. In face of such a global threat, an effective prevention and control can never be achieved without global cooperation," Mr. Vu Khoan said in his speech.

"At present, although the avian influenza epidemic has been pushed back, the danger of recurrence is still there. We therefore look forward to enhancing cooperation with APEC economies to not only roll back but also wipe out the epidemic, especially to prevent the transmission from human to human."

Webcasts, podcasts and news photographs of the opening remarks are now available for download and use by news organizations.

News Photographs

Official Photograph

The APEC Avian Influenza Pandemic Ministerial Meeting in progress