Najib to head Malaysian delegation at 22nd APEC AELM meeting

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be leading the Malaysian delegation to the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) to be held here from Nov 10 to 11.

The 22nd AELM will be chaired by President Xi Jinping of China, with the theme "Shaping the Future through Asia-Pacific Partnership", said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement released here.

It is preceded by the 26th APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) on Nov 7-8 and the 26th APEC Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting (CSOM) on Nov 5-6.

Najib, who is also Finance Minister, will be accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Hamzah Zainudin, as well as senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

During the 22nd AELM, the prime minister is scheduled to deliberate on the three priorities of APEC 2014: advancing regional economic integration; promoting innovative development, economic reform and growth; and strengthening comprehensive connectivity and infrastructure development.

Apart from exchanging views with other leaders on these issues, Najib will also explore new and innovative ideas to further enhance cooperation among APEC economies.

Among others, the premier is also expected to reiterate Malaysia's support towards APEC's work on connectivity aimed at achieving a better connected Asia-Pacific region and welcome the APEC Connectivity Blueprint, which will assist the economies to undertake targeted programmes.

The outcome of the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be documented in the APEC Economic Leaders' Declaration, said the statement.

Najib will hold several bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the margins of the Summit, to discuss bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

The AELM, an annual summit attended by Heads of Government of the 21 Pacific Rim member economies, plays a vital role in promoting trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region.

The APEC forum is regarded as one of the major platforms to discuss regional economic cooperation, trade and investment which can simultaneously strengthen bilateral relations among member economies.

Established in 1989, APEC's three main objectives are to develop and strengthen the multilateral trading system; to increase the interdependence and prosperity of member economies; and to promote sustainable economic growth.