Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill has departed for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) that will be held in Manila, Philippines.
He said with the nation preparing to host APEC Leaders in November 2018, the Manila meeting is important for advancing the policy agenda that will be chaired by PNG in three years time.
“The main purpose of APEC Leaders' Meeting each year is to review the work of Ministers and Officials that has taken place throughout the year, and to endorse APEC work program for the following year,” PM O’Neill said prior to his departure.
“The main work of APEC is technical in nature and involves Government officials and businesses, but very importantly this work is given the endorsement of the heads of each APEC member government.”
During the APEC Leaders week in Manila, he will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other countries to discuss matters of mutual concern.
The APEC leaders week is already underway with the Concluding Senior Officials meeting having already taken place on 13-14 November, and the APEC Ministerial Meeting taking place on 16-17 November.
The Leaders’ meeting, that is attended by the Prime Ministers and Presidents of the region, takes place on 18-19 November.
O'Neill will also speak at the APEC CEO Summit on Tuesday, 17 November where he will meet with a number of business leaders from around the Asia-Pacific.
Papua New Guinea will be represented at the Ministerial level by Foreign Minister, Rimbink Pato and Public Enterprise and State Investment Minister, Ben Micah.
Ambassador Ivan Pomaleu is Papua New Guinea’s senior official to APEC and has led the nation’s policy and technical engagement through APEC leading up to the Leaders’ meeting in Manila.