Phuket hosts APEC ISOM

PHUKET (NNT) - The Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation kicked off in Phuket, marking the first in-person meeting of the trade bloc since the pandemic. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official has presented Thailand’s plan for 2022 APEC chairmanship at this meeting under the Open, Connect, Balance theme.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Permanent Secretary Thani Thongphakdi today joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting (APEC ISOM), at which Thai officials presented the visions and plans for Thailand’s 2022 APEC Chairmanship.

Thai officials presented Thailand’s Open, Connect, Balance theme for APEC 2022, with the country’s agenda of moving beyond the middle-income trap and post-pandemic economic recovery.

Throughout its chairmanship year, Thailand will be encouraging more open trade and investment opportunities, better connectivity in all aspects including travel and digital connectivity, and the all-around balance in business responsibilities and sustainability.

Thailand will also be pursuing trade and investment facilitation through the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP), tourism recovery, and the promotion of inclusive and sustainable growth, with a particular highlight on Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economic model.

After the host country’s presentation, senior officials of APEC will be working together to create working plans for 2022. The APEC Summit is set to take place in late-2022.