Andina

FA Min: Peru introduces transition to formality into APEC's permanent agenda

Photo: ANDINA/Jhonel Rodríguez Robles

Photo: ANDINA/Jhonel Rodríguez Robles

12:53 | Lima, Nov. 12.

Foreign Affairs Minister Elmer Schialer on Tuesday stated that Peru has successfully introduced the issue of transitioning from informality to formality into the permanent agenda of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, with the Lima Roadmap expected to be approved by leaders of member economies.

In an interview with Andina News Agency, he recalled that when Peru was chosen as APEC host, there was a desire to define a concrete added value that could be offered to this forum, with the decision being made to prioritize the transition to formality as one of the main themes.

"We managed to include this issue in the APEC agenda, which is very significant, not only for the Lima meeting and the APEC year, but it has now been integrated into APEC’s permanent agenda. We aim for the leaders to approve the Lima Roadmap so as to transform and transition those individuals and entrepreneurs currently in informality to formality," he indicated.

The ambassador noted that when the topic was first proposed during preliminary senior officials' meetings at the forum, it was initially thought to affect only Peru.

However, a study conducted by the APEC Secretariat demonstrated that informality affects all 21 member economies, albeit to varying degrees.

Similarly, the diplomat emphasized that discussing this topic within APEC will allow the sharing of experiences to support those countries where informality remains prevalent.

"If we work together, we can move faster. It will be essential to share experiences and cooperate among us (APEC economies), providing technical cooperation. Besides, this formalization process involves costs and efforts that will be minimized by having access to a market like the one represented by this forum," he added.

State Visits

Moreover, Minister Schialer mentioned that Peru is entering a very intense week, noting that in addition to APEC Leaders' Week and other meetings, there will be two state visits: one by the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, and another by the President of The People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping.

The ambassador also noted that there will be five other official visits and 14 bilateral meetings with presidents and leaders in which Peruvian President Dina Boluarte will participate.

Lastly, he mentioned that the bilateral agendas for these meetings will vary depending on the counterpart, covering topics such as investment, infrastructure, technology, and culture.

Peru is hosting APEC for the third time after the 2008 and 2016 editions.


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Published: 11/12/2024