The Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak, undertook a Working Visit to Lima, Peru to participated at the 24th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM), which was held from 19 to 20 November 2016. YAB Prime Minister was accompanied by YABhg. Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor; Minister of International Trade and Industry, YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed; and senior officials from Wisma Putra, MITI and the Prime Minister’s Office.
Under the theme of Quality Growth and Human Development: Foundations for Sustainable Growth in the Asia Pacific, 24th AELM was chaired by the Peruvian President, H.E. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. The leaders discussed the priorities of advancing regional economic integration and to foster sustainable economic growth for the Asia Pacific region.
YAB Prime Minister participated in two retreat sessions with the themes - Challenges to Free Trade and Investment in the Current global context; Food security, Climate Change Adaptation and Access to Water; and Integrating the Asia Pacific: Towards a Real and Functional Connectivity in the Region. YAB Prime Minister also joined the Informal Dialogue with the Pacific Alliance and interactive sessions with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, as well as with the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg.
APEC Summit agreed that free trade was a key principle to generate and foster jobs and opportunities to APEC Member Countries. YAB Prime Minister urged Malaysians to be more competitive in facing the economic slowdown.
Besides that, YAB Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of Australia and Papua New Guinea to discuss issues of mutual interest. YAB Prime Minister also took the time to meet the Malaysian Diaspora in Peru before his departure.
It was the first high-level Working Visit from Malaysia to Peru since establishing diplomatic relations 25 years ago. Through such high level visit, it is hoped that it will paved the way forward to continuing to strengthen bilateral ties between Malaysia and Peru in the years to come.
