Top leaders from 21 member economies of the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum ended their two-day annual meeting on Sunday with a declaration on sustainable growth, trade liberalization, human security and good governance.
Under the declaration titled "One Community, Our Future", also the main theme of this year's APEC meetings, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing development through trade and investment liberalization, enhancing human security to underpinning growth, promoting good governance and a knowledge-based society.
Reviewing those comprehensive agreements reached during the two-day meeting, President Ricardo Lagos of the host country of Chile, highlighted the APEC leaders' strong support to the WTO Doha negotiations and their determination to advance the prosperity and sustainable growth of the region.
"The meeting is a big success not only for Chile, but also for all APEC members," said the president, whose country is the first South American nation to host APEC events.
Sunday's meeting is the last event of the week-long APEC meetings, which also include the Senior Officials Meeting and the Ministerial Meeting, and will end the whole APEC Chile 2004.
Numerous bilateral meetings between the world's key leaders were also planned on the sidelines of the meeting.
APEC, as the premier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asian Pacific region, was set up in 1989 to further enhance economic growth and prosperity for the region and to strengthen the Asia-Pacific community.
It now groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei,Thailand, the Philippines, the United States and Vietnam.
(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2004)
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