Jakarta - APEC is taking steps to pave a calibrated and
measured way of reconnecting the dynamic region of the Asia-Pacific as
economies learn to live with COVID-19, according to the APEC
Secretariat-issued statement received here, Tuesday.
Such steps are also being taken as demand for travel is expected to make
a steady comeback this year, the APEC Secretariat stated.
Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand and 2022 Chair of
the APEC Senior Officials Thani Thongphakdi, in his address to senior
officials and business leaders from 21 APEC member economies last week
in an event held in Singapore, underscored the need to reconnect the
region to support recovery.
"Thailand recognizes the need to reconnect the region to support
economic recovery. Taking forward the recommendation of the region’s
business leaders to APEC leaders last year, a Safe Passage Task Force
was created in order to coordinate cross-border travel resumption,"
Thongphakdi expounded.
He pointed out that the objective of the Taskforce was to reopen
cross-border travel safely and seamlessly in the short term while
looking to expand business mobility in the longer term.
"The Taskforce will engage subject matter experts by exploring possible
common travel protocols and mutual recognition of health certificates as
well as promoting sustainable tourism," he affirmed.
Thongphakdi stated that to enhance connectivity in the long term,
Thailand will continue conversations on broadening the scheme of the
APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) and other innovative schemes to
facilitate mobility for businesspeople and professionals to travel
across APEC economies.
"We want to keep the momentum of international cooperation going by
further deepening our regional economic integration," Thani stated.
"Our discussion on the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) has
been the cornerstone in facilitating trade and investment in the
region," he remarked.
A policy dialogue on FTAAP will be held in May 2022 to provide an avenue
for member economies and business leaders to discuss how regional
economic integration should evolve in the post-COVID era.
Thani emphasized the importance of involving APEC business communities throughout this process.
"As our experts are kick-starting a refreshed conversation on FTAAP,
particularly on emerging trade issues post-COVID-19, we urge business
communities to share these insights on what is needed in the changing
landscape," he affirmed.
The First APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) meeting was held in
Singapore on February 15-18, 2022. As many as 150 delegates attended the
meeting in person and while most APEC senior officials joined
virtually.
In tandem, APEC’s technical meetings are underway, covering sectoral
issues, such as food security, ocean and fisheries, the digital economy,
market access, and business mobility.
Those discussions will culminate at the Senior Officials’ Meeting on February 24-25, 2022. []
Source: Antara
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