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By Angelo S. Samonte Reporter
President Arroyo leaves this week
to attend this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
forum in Sydney, Australia, slated September 3 to 9.
The conclave will bring together
the leaders of 21 economies in the Asia Pacific, including the
United States, Japan and China.
Capping the six-day economic
forum will be the Asia Economic Leaders’ Meeting which the
President will attend starting Friday.
Expected to top the meeting’s
agenda are the global issues on climate change, energy security and
terrorism.
Although in the past, APEC took
up such issues as terrorism and bird flu, along with the changing
international agenda, its overall agenda remains firmly rooted in
its original objective of promoting trade and investment.
As a key sideline in the meeting,
leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), of
which the Philippines is a founding member, are expected to hold
bilateral negotiations with their counterparts from Australia and
New Zealand on an Asean free-trade agreement.
The deadline for the free-trade
talks between the 10-member Asean and Australia and New Zealand,
both agricultural powerhouses in the Asia-Pacific region, has been
extended to May 2008.
Although heads of member
economies will issue an APEC Economic Leaders’ Declaration at the
end of the summit, the document is not expected to partake of the
nature of binding agreements.
Besides government officials,
joining the President in her Australia trip are leaders of the
Filipino business community from the mining, manufacturing,
financial and real-state sectors.
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