Vietnam will continue with its across-the-board shakeup, with emphasis on its legal system, administrative procedures, and business competitiveness, President Nguyen Minh Triet has told the international media.

Speaking Friday with Australia’s ABC Television, the US’s CNBC Television, and Hong Kong’s Oriental Daily newspaper on the sidelines of the 15th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Australia, Triet also stressed the importance of developing a human resource talent pool.

Vietnam would continue to roll out the red carpet for foreign investors, he promised.

Turning to APEC, he hailed its growth and said it had played a strategic role in the increasing prosperity of member-countries.

The APEC forum had offered a floor for leaders to compare notes on bread-and-butter issues, he said, adding it was playing a vital role in sustaining a peaceful and stable environment in the region and world.

He held talks Friday with his counterparts from Chile and South Korea.

He thanked Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Jeria for recognizing Vietnam as a market-oriented economy and supporting its bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN’s Security Council next year.

The two agreed to begin negotiations for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement to foster economic ties.

During his meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, Triet called for increased investment from Korean businesses.

He promised the Vietnamese government would create an investment-friendly environment for Korean firms.

He joined a meeting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held with US President George W. Bush, participated in a Vietnam-Australia business forum, and met with leaders of some of the world’s leading enterprises.

He also met members of the Vietnamese community in Australia.

Next on his agenda is the first retreat meeting with APEC leaders Saturday.

After the summit wraps up Sunday, Triet will visit New Zealand on September 10-12, the first trip by a senior leader from either country since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1975.

APEC's 21 economies – which include the US, Japan, China, and Russia – account for nearly half of global trade and 56 percent of the world's gross domestic product. (TTXVN, Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre)