Students receive talk on Apec process

National

By Shirley Gar
ASIA-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Secretariat director-general Lahui Ako outlined the process PNG had to go through to be able to host next year’s Apec meeting.
Criticisms of the fact that PNG is hosting an expensive meeting are unfounded, he said.
Apec 2018 will bring to the forefront national discussions about the involvement of small to medium enterprises in the country’s development, he said.
“Most criticisms of the 2018 Apec meeting are unfounded and do not consider the unprecedented capacity-building and whole-of-government coordination,” Ako said.
More awareness and road-shows will be conducted by the Apec Secretariat before the November 2018 summit.
Ako spoke about Apec at a University of Papua New Guinea diplomacy class on Friday on “A broad strategic and policy overview of PNG’s involvement in Apec.”
In his presentation, Ako challenged young Papua New Guineans to think strategically about the global presence of PNG.
The integration of PNG into the global market place should run parallel with skilled diplomacy and foreign policy creativity, Ako said.
He said the tentative theme for the summit would be formally approved by the National Executive Council.
There is an emphasis on connectivity in the theme.