O’Neill off to Apec meet in Hawaii

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill will attend the 19th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.
He will leave on Thursday, accompanied by Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Charles Abel and officials from the departments of Foreign Affairs and Immigration and Prime Minister and National Executive Council.
O’Neill said the meeting would open opportunities for PNG in the areas of trade with huge economies of the world.
“I assure the people of PNG that my government strives to achieve what is best for the country and the outcomes of our meetings must be in the best interest of the nation,” he said.
“My government will negotiate with the US government and other member economies of Apec to have access to the US tuna market and review the US aid package towards the management of vast tuna resources as well as sovereignty issues related to fishing in PNG territorial waters.”
The APEC meeting will focus on creating seamless regional economy within the member countries through:
lRegional economic integration and expanding trade;
lPromoting green growth; and
lExpanding regulatory cooperation and advancing regulatory converges. 
Apec member countries are Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, China, Peru, Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Chile, Canada and Mexico.