apecThere would be no statement from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministers on last week’s Paris attacks that killed about 129 people and injured more than 300, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.

“I don’t think we did as ministers. We didn’t come up with a group [statement],” he said on Tuesday during the APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) news conference at the International Media Center (IMC) at the World Trade Center in Pasay City (MetroManila).

There was a “common refrain,” though, wherein “everyone expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the terrorist attacks.”

“There was a call for unity of nations and peoples, and there was traditionally, a call for bringing to justice those who perpetuated the horrific developments in Paris last Friday,” del Rosario said.

Each minister commented on the terrorist attacks in Paris, he added.

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But although these commentaries were contained in the minutes of the ministers’ meeting, there would be no common statement on it nor would it be included in their joint statement.

“These are personal expressions of sympathies and condemnation,” del Rosario said.

APEC was established in 1989 as an informal ministerial level dialogue group of foreign and trade ministers to sustain the momentum of market opening and economic cooperation which are vital to the growth and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region. As such, it does not usually include geo-political issues in its agenda.