PM O’Neill thanks public for welcoming APEC delegations

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has thanked members of the public for welcoming delegates from around the Asia-Pacific who attended the series of APEC meetings that took place in Port Moresby over the past week.  The Prime Minister further highlighted the relevance of APEC's work at the local level in Papua New Guinea.
As Papua New Guinea prepares to host the broader APEC process in 2018, PM O'Neill said the lead-in meetings provide the opportunity for the public to gain greater insight to APEC and for officials to refine logistics processes.
"The early APEC meetings give the public an opportunity for many people to get a better understanding of unique processes involved in hosting APEC meetings," the Prime Minister said at the conclusion of this week's meetings.
"There was also a great deal of interaction between delegates with business owners and the public, particularly relating to the meetings on women and the economy.
"Business relationships have been formed this week that will continue and stimulate further economic interaction.
"Through these meetings we also have the chance to refine logistical processes and enhance the capacity of officials who will interact with thousands of delegates before the end of 2018.
"Support to APEC meetings will continue to evolve and extensive training undertaken as we build the significant logistical and security operation that will be in place for 2018."
The Prime Minister said the benefits to the nation of hosting APEC are gained at a local level and this was demonstrated during the meetings in Port Moresby last week.
"While most media the attention is focused on the high level APEC events such as the Leaders' Summit, APEC is very much a working level process that gives our country access to knowledge, skills and technical expertise from around the Asia-Pacific.
"In a broad range of areas that includes agriculture, tourism, telecommunications and forestry, engaging through APEC gives Papua New Guinea direct access to information on practices that have worked in other countries. 
"We can then apply that adapt and apply that knowledge in our economy.
"Papua New Guinea has been stepping up policy and technical engagement in APEC over the past few years and is now playing a more active role in the APEC process than ever before."
The two meetings that were held in Port Moresby over the past week were the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy followed by the APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Human Capacity Building.
The next round of APEC meetings will take place in the Philippines when senior officials meet ahead of the meeting of Trade Ministers on 23-24 May.