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PRESS RELEASE
SOM-CHAIR PRESS RELEASE
ON
APEC SOM 1 RETREAT 12 FEBRUARY 2000
1. H.E. Pehin Dato Lim
Jock Seng, Brunei Darussalam SOM-Chair, convened the SOM-Retreat, in
Bangar, Temburong on 12 February 2000. It was attended by the senior
officials from member economies as well as the APEC Secretariat, Chairs
of the Committee on Trade and Investment, SOM Sub-Committee on Economic
and Technical Cooperation (ESC), and Budget and Management Committee (BMC).
2. The Retreat had an
exchange of views on the outcome of the WTO meeting in Seattle. It
reaffirmed its commitment to the WTO and explored ways by which APEC can
contribute to progress the work in Geneva. Views were expressed on the
need for better and more effective outreach programme explaining the
benefits of trade and investment liberalization in view of the outcome
of the Seattle meeting.
3. The Retreat noted that
the Trade Ministers meeting in Darwin in June and the APEC Leaders
meeting in November were vital dates for APEC and that these two
meetings would provide the opportunities for APEC to give political
impetus to the work of the WTO.
4. The Co-Chairs of the
APEC Finance Deputies from New Zealand and Brunei Darussalam were also
present to brief the Retreat on the activities in the Finance Ministers'
process. There was a very effective exchange during the Retreat with the
co-chairs of the APEC Finance Deputies process in response to the call
by Leaders to integrate all the processes of APEC.
5. In the evening, the
Retreat had a general discussion on the future course of APEC and in
looking to the future, senior officials saw the need to be well grounded
and build upon the cumulative wisdom of the past .
13 February 2000 |