Andina

APEC Peru 2024 expected to exceed 15,000 visitors

Photo: ANDINA/Daniel Bracamonte

Photo: ANDINA/Daniel Bracamonte

14:04 | Lima, Sep. 8.

2024 APEC Senior Officials' Meetings (SOM) Chair Carlos Vasquez stated that the bloc's meetings to be held in Peru will exceed 15,000 visitors —a figure higher than initially expected.

In remarks to Andina News Agency, the ambassador said it is important to highlight the impact this has on Peru's image projection.

"We had originally estimated that approximately 10,000 delegates would visit the country; however, according to the figures from the APEC 2024 Working Group Registration Department, there have been almost 7,000 delegates at all meetings held so far," Vasquez indicated on August 23.

"Then we have other meetings, including the Leaders' Summit, (...) so we could be talking about 15,000 people in total, perhaps a slightly higher figure," he added.

The diplomat said the Leaders' Summit alone could bring together up to 5,000 delegates, plus 1,200 businesspeople who will participate in the CEO Summit and 2,000 journalists. Thus, the number of people exceeds expectations.

In this regard, Vasquez stated that APEC Peru 2024 aroused much more interest in our country than had been anticipated.

"Especially in terms of Peru's image that these delegates take back to their respective economies, everything has been praised. I am surprised; they have praised Peru for its extremely high level of logistical coordination and attention, and they have told us that we have set the bar too high for the South Koreans," he noted.

The next edition of the APEC forum will be hosted by South Korea.

"Not only are the official attention, hospitality, logistical coordination, and security provided to the delegations noteworthy, but also the quality of the substantive thematic issues and the deliverables (agreed documents) that have been approved make the entire package extremely attractive to them," he added.

On the other hand, Vasquez said that so far there are 11 approved and agreed-upon documents (seven statements and four additional deliverables).

However, it is expected that there will be 18 such agreements by the end of this year, when the meetings conclude.

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

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Published: 9/8/2024