YOKOHAMA — Foreign and trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region affirmed Thursday the importance of taking concrete steps toward achieving a regionwide free-trade zone.
Ministers of the 21 economies in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum concluded a two-day meeting in Yokohama with a joint statement stressing the increasing importance of the region as a growth center in the global economy as well as agreeing on the need to reinforce regional economic integration.
"I believe we were able to build a good foundation for the future of APEC," Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said during a news conference after the meeting. "Through our discussions, I became convinced that APEC has and will continue to play an important role globally and that it will pave the way for the future of the Asia-Pacific region as well as the world."