Panama expects to join APEC

Panama Friday reaffirmed its commitment to become a "full member" of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), Panamanian Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Varela said.

"Our government has taken a lot of political and diplomatic measures to reaffirm Panama's wishes of being a full member in APEC," Varela said before the APEC economic leaders summit to be held Saturday in Yokohama, Japan.

He said that the Panamanian government was supported by Mexico, Chile, Vietnam, the Philippines, Peru, Russia and Brunei Darussalam.

Panama has decided to boost its ties with Asian economies, one of the most dynamic regions that contribute 70 percent to the global economic growth, he said.

"So, we have taken different initiatives to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and make our country a logistic and service platform for Latin America," Varela said.

Source: Xinhua