Mr. Co-Chairs,

1. Allow me to express my high appreciation to Minister Lavrov, Minister Belousov, and the Government of the Russian Federation for the warm hospitality and excellent arrangements made for the 24th APEC Ministerial Meeting as well as the 2012 APEC Leaders Week.

2. Our meeting is taking place at a time when the global and Asia - Pacific landscape is changing at a breathtaking pace. The global and regional economic recovery is slowing down, while protectionism has been on the rise and global challenges have become ever more acute.

So, APEC’s prime interest and responsibility are to maintain the role of the Asia - Pacific region as an important driving force for world economic recovery and to address global challenges.

I share many of the points made by colleagues about the urgent need to take more coordinated action to ensure food security. Obviously, the constant surge in food demand results from the rapid increase in human population. Agricultural production has been seriously affected by climate change, hasty urbanization and industrialization.

Just 5 years ago, we witnessed the food crisis in  2007 and 2008. And now, we are threatened by a new potential crisis as food prices remain high and continue to be volatile until 2020.  There are now more than 1 billion people worldwide suffering from food shortages and 60% of them are from the Asia - Pacific region.

3. Faced with such challenges, APEC members have taken a number of timely actions. Following the World Summit on Food Security in Roma in 2009, we have launched the Ministerial Meeting on Food Security, APEC Policy Partnership for Food Security, and Asia - Pacific Information Platform on Food Security mechanisms.

Viet Nam fully supports Blue Economy Initiative proposed by APEC members and the measures adopted in Niigata in 2010 and in Kazan this May. This week, in Ha Noi the second International Conference on climate change and food security is being organized to discuss how best to cooperate in this field.

 Mr. Co-Chairs,

4. As a major food producer and supplier, Viet Nam has made agricultural development and food security a focus in its national development and reform.

These efforts have lifted Viet Nam from low to middle income status. We also have met, ahead of schedule, 5 out of 8 Millennium Development Goals and will be able to fundamentally fulfill the remaining three by 2015. Our poverty rate reduced rapidly from 58% in 1993 to below 10%.

From our own experience, we hold that an interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach is key to ensure sustainable food security. Food security must be associated with the realization of the MDGs, with efforts to respond to climate change, and with sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, including water sources, oceans and marine resources.

We also need to pay due attention to promoting innovation for growth, more investment in agriculture, application of biotechnology, and transfer of agricultural technology.

5. It is imperative for APEC to take more coordinated efforts to put into action FAO’s New Vision for Agriculture. We may also work together to support ASEAN’s Food Security Initiative, ASEAN+3 Emergency Rice Reserve for vulnerable population groups, and the ASEAN Rice Trade Forum to address issues related to the food market.

APEC is fully capable of assisting developing countries to ensure food security through our strong support for and active participation in tripartite, sub-regional and South - South cooperation frameworks.

Thank you./.