Philippines Looks Forward to APEC Leaders Summit in South Korea

The Philippines is gearing up for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit in Busan, South Korea, where President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will lead the country's delegation. The summit, scheduled from November 17 to 19, 2005, is expected to further strengthen economic cooperation among APEC member economies and tackle key issues such as trade and poverty. President Arroyo, who had a successful stint as the host of the APEC summit in Santiago, Chile last year, is optimistic about the outcome of the meeting and the potential for increased cooperation among member countries.

Key Takeaways:

• President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will lead the Philippine delegation to the APEC Leaders Summit in Busan, South Korea from November 17 to 19, 2005.
• The Philippines was elected to chair the APEC Counter-Terrorism Task Force (CTTF) and has nominated retired Gen. Benjamin Defensor as the task force head with the rank of ambassador.
• One of the Philippines' key proposals in the Chile summit was adopted by the Santiago Declaration, which called for developed countries to provide technical assistance to developing countries to promote their interest in the World Trade Organization (WTO) trade talks.
• President Arroyo takes pride in her accomplishments in the Chile APEC summit, where she focused on poverty alleviation and secured commitments from other leaders to help address economic disparities.
• The APEC leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reduce economic disparities among countries through trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, enhancing human security, and promoting good governance and a knowledge-based society.

Statistics:

• The APEC Leaders Summit will be held from November 17 to 19, 2005.
• 21 APEC leaders will participate in the summit, including President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines.
• The Santiago Declaration signed by the APEC leaders includes calls for developed countries to provide technical assistance to developing countries and to promote their interest in the WTO trade talks.
• The Philippines was elected to chair the APEC Counter-Terrorism Task Force (CTTF).
• President Arroyo has named retired Gen. Benjamin Defensor as the head of the CTTF with the rank of ambassador.

Sources:

• Asia Pulse, "Philippines Looks Forward to APEC Leaders Summit in South Korea," November 15, 2005. (Note: The original text does not mention the publication date, so it has been omitted here.)
• PNA, 15-11 1944 (no additional context available).