APEC meeting to address broad range of issues

By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia
20 August 2007

Trade liberalisation and trans-border threats including terrorism and pandemic diseases are some of the issues that will top the agenda at this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit.

Speaking ahead of the September meeting in Sydney, the APEC Secretariat says the 21 leaders from APEC economies are expected to call for continuing support for the next round of WTO Doha round of talks.

The Doha Round has come to a standstill due to differences between some countries on eliminating trade barriers to agricultural produce and manufactured goods.

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy is also scheduled to attend the APEC meeting in Sydney.

The Secretariat says there will be discussions on how to accelerate the process of regional economic integration and structural reforms.

Climate change is expected to be another major topic at the summit.

Colin Heseltine, Executive Director, APEC Secretariat, says: "APEC for some years, especially through its energy working groups, has had climate change on its agenda, issues on clean development, sustainable development and energy security and all these issues have of course touched on the issue of climate change.

"I think what is happening this year, because of the global concern, the global interest in climate change, you are seeing APEC itself, APEC leaders in particular,...giving quite high priority to this issue." - CNA/ch