APEC leaders meet today<\/p>\n
By Prapti Widinugraheni and Meidyatama Suryodiningrat<\/p>\n
MANILA (JP): Leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
\n(APEC) forum in their meeting today are expected elevate the role
\nof the private sector in achieving the forum's goals of regional
\nfree trade, officials said yesterday.<\/p>\n
In a day-long meeting at Subic, the 18 APEC leaders are
\nexpected to issue a declaration highlighting the integral role of
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
The elevated role of the private sector has been a distinct
\nfeature in the APEC talks which will climax with today's APEC
\nEconomic Leaders Meeting.<\/p>\n
For the first time, a gathering of top business executives,
\nthe APEC Business Forum, was held concurrently with the two-day
\neighth APEC Ministerial Meeting from Friday.<\/p>\n
The first APEC leaders meeting was held in Blake Island,
\nSeattle, in 1993. The next was held in Bogor, West Java, in 1994
\nand then in Osaka, Japan, last year.<\/p>\n
The leaders at this year's meeting include Australian Prime
\nMinister John Howard, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Canadian
\nPrime Minister Jean Chretien, Chilean President Eduardo Frei,
\nChinese President Jiang Zemin, Hong Kong's financial secretary
\nDonald Tsang and Indonesian President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Other leaders at the meeting include Japanese Prime Minister
\nRyutaro Hashimoto, Korean President Kim Young-sam, Malaysian
\nPrime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Mexican President Ernesto
\nZedillo, New Zealand Prime Minister James Bolger, Papua New
\nGuinea Prime Minister Julius Chan, Singaporean Premier Goh Chok
\nTong, Taiwanese representative Koo Chen-Fu, Thailand Prime
\nMinister Banharn Silpa-Archa and United States President Bill
\nClinton.<\/p>\n
Final text<\/p>\n
While the final text of the declaration is being kept under
\nlock and key, some officials told The Jakarta Post that
\nintegrating businesses' contribution toward APEC was among the
\nfeatures of the declaration.<\/p>\n
The leaders are expected to instruct their ministers to review
\nthe individual action plans for trade liberalization with their
\ncountries' top executives.<\/p>\n
Ministers are also likely to be told to consult the private
\nsector on areas where early liberalization would have support.<\/p>\n
Leaders are expected to ask their ministers to examine the
\nprospects of public, private and international financial
\ninstitutions stimulating the private sector to provide
\ninfrastructure.<\/p>\n
Other themes expected to be flagged by the leaders is APEC's
\ncontribution to the World Trade Organization, and support for
\nChina's and Taiwan's entry to it.<\/p>\n
Another important issue that is likely to be reinforced by the
\nleaders is the strengthening of economic cooperation and
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
The ministers at the end of their meeting on Saturday issued a
\ndeclaration, the Framework for Strengthening Economic Cooperation
\nand Development.<\/p>\n
APEC leaders today will be expected to endorse and direct
\nministers to ensure that the principles contained in the
\nministerial declaration are faithfully implemented.<\/p>\n
The drafted four-page leaders' declaration is also expected to
\nfocus on sustainable growth and increasing people to people
\nlinks.<\/p>\n
Some 120 kilometers from Manila, the former U.S. military base
\nof Subic has been converted into a resort and industrial area.
\nNew bungalows have been built to accommodate the leaders and
\ntheir entourage.<\/p>\n
The leaders will not be accompanied by ministers or advisors
\nat the meeting. Only interpreters will be allowed to accompany
\nthe leaders. Their personal aids may wait in a nearby room.<\/p>\n
Before the meeting's first session, the leaders will first
\nhold a time capsule ceremony, in which each leader will submit
\nhis vision of the future.<\/p>\n
The talks are scheduled to end around 3 p.m. followed by a
\nreading of the leaders' declaration and a news conference by
\nPresident Ramos as the meeting's chairman.<\/p>\n
While the APEC meetings have so far proceeded with only mild
\ndemonstrations, police have set-up check points along the roads
\nto Subic.<\/p>\n
Local anti-APEC demonstrators have threatened to block roads
\nleading to Subic.<\/p>",
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