Measures to cope with natural disasters, especially storms, topped the agenda of a two-day seminar of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies opened in Hanoi on April 24.
The seminar, officially named “Dialogues among APEC member economies, enterprise circles and international partners to confront emergency cases,” aims to work towards reducing the effects of natural disasters in the region.
The Asia Pacific nations are affected by 70 percent of global natural disasters annually, the hardest hit region of the world.
APEC Secretariat Executive Director Juan Carlos Capunay said efforts to cope with natural disasters and other emergencies is consistently a top priority in APEC programme cooperation.
Capunay said that effective management of emergencies requires four-way cooperation, by the Government, enterprises, international and regional partners and civil society. He said good management techniques prove to be beneficial for member countries development.
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Dung said the seminar would create a momentum for the region to boost cooperation in this issue.
For host Vietnam , Dung said the event provides concerned agencies and in particular the central provinces , which suffer most frequent natural calamities, with an opportunity to share information and look for international cooperation in this issue.
Source: VietNamNet Bridge
