Aisi puts Apec journey in a song

By LUKE KAMA
THE theme song of the 2018 Apec Leaders’ Summit From Bogor to Era Kone has been released – a short yet eloquent narrative of the regional event’s history.
Composer Frank Mohi Aisi, pictured, embraces in the song the agendas and aspirations of Apec since the Bogor Declarations in Indonesia in 1994, to the Era Kone Declaration in 2018 in Port Moresby this week.
“From my involvement with Apec, especially in terms of policies, I can say that it has been quite a long journey for many of us who are the Third World nations or developing countries in Apec economies,” he said.
Aisi said the Bogor Declaration in Indonesia in 1994 aimed to achieve free trade and investment within the Apec member economies.
“That ambition is captured in the song,” he said.
“Most developed economies within the Apec economies achieved free trade and investment since the Bogor Declaration in 1994.
“But for Third World countries such as PNG, it had been a very long journey from 1994 to Port Moresby during the leaders’ summit this week.
“Our people’s expectations are very high on what PNG will benefit from in terms of free trade and investments. All that is captured in the song.”
He is currently the deputy secretary for policy at the Economic and Infrastructure Sector and International Relations Division at the Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council. He composed the song while the music was put together by P2UIF, a renowned gospel band in the country.
The song was launched in Port Moresby yesterday by chief executive of PNG Apec Coordinating Authority Chris Hawkins and Aisi.
Aisi said yesterday that he composed the song based on his experience in the policy aspects of Apec for quite some time.