Nha Trang City, Viet Nam to host First Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings

(MOFA) - APEC’s 21 member economies will gather at the First Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM 1) and Related Meetings from February 18 to March 3 in Nha Trang city, Viet Nam.

SOM 1, to take place under the chairmanship of APEC 2017 SOM Chair Bui Thanh Son, and related meetings offer an essential platform for APEC member economies to kick off substantive discussions to advance APEC cooperation, leading up  to APEC 2017’s Leaders’ Week at Da Nang city this November.

Around 1,900 delegates from member economies, representatives from the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) and other regional and international organizations, as well as the business community will participate in SOM 1 and the 56 working group and committee-level meetings.

Under the overarching theme “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future”,  SOM 1 and related meetings will discuss on the priorities for APEC cooperation in 2017. APEC delegates will also exchange ways to advance those priorities with concrete initiatives, which set the ground for deliverables to be submitted to APEC Ministers and Economic Leaders later.

SOM 1, preceded by the meetings of the four Committees on Trade and Investment, Economic, Economic and Technical Cooperation, and Budget and Management, will identify key areas of works and set agenda for cooperation on a wide range of issues, including trade and investment liberalization, business facilitation, emergency preparedness, quality growth, technical and economic cooperation, anti-corruption and transparency, human resource development, custom procedures, food security and agriculture, life science and innovation,…

At a time the world and the region are undergoing profound changes, and continued slow economic and trade growth, APEC member economies will particularly focus on their efforts on ways to strengthen cooperation and to contribute to fostering growth and economic integration in the Asia – Pacific region. 

SOM 1 and related meetings take place against the beautiful natural landscape of Nha Trang city, home to some of the world’s best beaches, will truly showcase rich culture, local delicacies and charming people of the South Central area of Viet Nam. 
The APEC Deputy Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting will also take place in Nha Trang city from 23 to 24 February.