VGP – The 13th Asia-Pacific Heads of Maritime Safety Agencies Forum (APHoMSA 13) opened Tuesday in the coastal city of Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province.
This is the first time, Vietnam has hosted this kind of event which drew the participation of over 70 delegates from Asia-Pacific region and international maritime organizations.
Addressing the event, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Cong highly valued cooperation among APEC members in deploying their commitments over the past time.
The region needs to foster cooperation in addressing issues on maritime safety, marine environment protection and rescue work, Deputy Minister Cong stressed.
Vietnam pledged to continue participating actively and comprehensively in the APHoMSA, he affirmed.
This year’s forum will focus on issues related to APHoMSA’s strategic plans, seafarer training in the region, search and rescue work, maritime equipment and the implementation of Maritime Labor Convention.
Asia-Pacific region is now holding significant proportion of global trade value. Maritime transport takes the major role in trade activities among the region and between the region and the world.
APEC member economies account for approximately 40% of the world’s population, 54% of the global gross domestic product and 44% of the world trade.
The forum is scheduled to close on July 12.
By Hai Minh