Special Report: Hu Jintao visits 4 Asian nations, attends APEC Meeting

    HANOI, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Miniters and representatives of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) here Thursday endorsed the Hanoi Action Plan for further free and open trade and investment.

    The plan was endorsed at the two-day ministerial meeting closed here Thursday afternoon at the newly built Hanoi National Convention Center, announced the cochairman of the meeting, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem at a news briefing after the meeting.

    The document, initiated by APEC senior officials, together with others, will submit for approval to the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held here on Nov. 18-19.

    The ministers and representatives at the meeting reaffirmed APEC's commitment to achieve the Bogor Goals in 2010/2020 and recognized that the Bogor Goals remain important for APEC today's fast changing trade and investment environment.

    They endorsed the Hanoi Action Plan to implement the Busan Roadmap, which was agreed in 2005 to accelerate progress towards the Bogor Goals.

    Under the Plan, member economies of APEC will take concrete actions in five key areas, in particular, the support for the multilateral trading system and the promotion of high-quality regional trade arrangements and free trade agreements.