2015 APEC ministerial meeting kicks off

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh led the Vietnamese delegation. Before the opening ceremony, ministers paid their respects in relation to the recent massacre in Paris. The meeting opened with a speech by the Filipino Minister of Industry and Trade . He stressed APEC’s role in promoting economic development in the region. Ministers agreed on attaining the Bogor goals of free trade and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific by 2020. The ministerial meeting continues on Tuesday and prepares for the leader’s summit on Wednesday and Thursday.