Prime Minister Stephen Harper will participate in the APEC Leaders' Summit

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that he will attend the 14th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting, which will take place November 18 and 19, 2006, in Hanoi, Vietnam. 

Under the theme of “Towards a Dynamic Community for Sustainable Development and Prosperity,” APEC Leaders will work to boost regional trade and investment, strengthen economic and technical cooperation, and promote a secure and favourable business environment.

International Trade Minister David Emerson and Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay will precede the Prime Minister in Hanoi, where they will attend the APEC Ministerial Meeting November 15 and 16, 2006.

APEC, which has 21 members, is the most important forum for economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Aiming to promote prosperity in the region through increased trade and investment, APEC has also become in recent years an active forum in which to address other regional and global issues such as counterterrorism and health security.