Maritime collaboration must contribute to the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) forum’s common goals of developing economic affairs
and maintaining regional peace and stability on the basis of win-win
cooperation, a Vietnamese official has said.
Speaking at the fourth APEC Ocean-related Ministerial Meeting on August
28 in Xiamen city in China’s Fujian province, Deputy Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam stressed the need for APEC
economies to give priority to cooperation in search and rescue missions
at sea.
Tam also highlighted Vietnam’s efforts in
actively implementing cooperative mechanisms for information sharing in
the field, particularly setting up hotlines connecting trans-boundary
coastal regions and the respective neighbouring countries in order to
better assist fishermen in distress.
Regarding the
coordination among member economies in realising the “blue economy”
concept for maritime economic development, the Vietnamese official
confirmed that the approach must balance socio-economic development with
the management and conservation of marine ecosystems.
This year’s event brought together delegates from 19 of the 21 APEC
member economies, who devised the Xiamen Statement on marine and coastal
ecosystem conservation and improved disaster response capacities. The
statement also highlights the role oceans play in food security and
trade-related issues.-VNA