Business Symposium Brings Together Trade Ministers and Leading Business Representatives

In preparation for the Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade this week, the APEC Business Symposium on Trade and Investment began today in Ho Chi Minh City.

Taking place over two days, the symposium brought Ministers and Officials from APEC economies together with representatives of the APEC business community to discuss how to move the APEC trade and investment agenda forward.

Delegates to the symposium discussed a range of measures to facilitate growth, trade, investment and innovation in the Asia-Pacific.

Chair of the Ministerial Meeting, Viet Nam's Trade Minister, Truong Dinh Tuyen, welcomed the participation of the business sector.

"We see this event as a key opportunity to strengthen Public-Private Partnerships in pursuit of further trade liberalization and growth in the APEC region," said Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen.

"The symposium offers the perfect platform to present trade and investment opportunities in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City to the Asia-Pacific community and encourage dynamic interaction between the Vietnamese business community and their APEC counterparts."

Participants at the symposium included Viet Nam Minister of Trade, Mr. Truong Dinh Tuyen; Senior Adviser at New York Life, Sandra J Kristoff; New Zealand Minister of Trade, Mr. Phil Goff; Vice President Asia Pacific Glaxo Smith Kline, Stephen W. Cook; and Senior Vice president International Relations and Public Policy, Asia Pacific Time Warner, Hugh Stephens.

The Symposium is taking place at a critical time with APEC Trade Ministers set to address key global and regional issues including the status of the WTO Doha Development Agenda, the increasing number of Free Trade Agreements and Regional Trade Arrangements, and the Busan Business Agenda.