November 09, 2005

NEWS RELEASE

Prime Minister Paul Martin today announced that he will attend the 13th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting, which will take place from November 18 to 19, 2005, in Busan, South Korea.

“Canada is moving quickly to put in place a Pacific Gateway that will help our businesses and communities to expand their commercial relations with the booming Asia Pacific region,” said the Prime Minister. “I look forward to working with participating leaders to facilitate trade links between our economies and to promote measures that will advance the security and health of our citizens.”

The Prime Minister also underscored that leaders will review APEC’s progress toward the goal of free and open trade and investment in the region, and will set new concrete objectives for the future. They will discuss ways to encourage private-sector development in the future, strengthen the legal infrastructure in developing countries, narrow the digital divide, and promote trade facilitation and regulatory reform measures that benefit small and medium-sized enterprises. They will also consider how best to support current WTO Doha Development Agenda negotiations.

In Busan, APEC leaders will also look at ways to enhance security and sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region, including new measures against the threats posed by infectious diseases and terrorism.

APEC, which has 21 members, is the most important forum for economic cooperation in the Asia Pacific region. Aiming to promote prosperity in the region through increased trade and investment, APEC has also become in recent years an active forum in which to address other regional and global issues such as counterterrorism and health security.