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APEC's SOM in Beijing Very Important: Official
The upcoming APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), scheduled in Beijing on February 12-13, 2001, is very important as it will set the tone and direction of the APEC work for year 2001, Executive Director of APEC Secretariat Zhang Yan said to Xinhua lately.
As the meeting, the first APEC SOM of this year, will officially start the annual APEC process and set the tone and the direction of the APEC work. China, this year's APEC chair/host, and other member economies attach great importance to the meeting, Zhang said.
On the agenda, Zhang revealed that member economies will discuss the working plan, identify the priorities and the objectives for the year and possibly discuss the deliverables under consideration for the 9th Informal APEC Economic Leaders meeting which will be held in Shanghai, on October 20-21, 2001.
The APEC chair/host will also brief other member economies about the theme of the APEC work, seek inputs and finalize it, he added.
Zhang underlined that the first SOM in a year usually undertakes substantial work in preparing the ground for the Leaders Meeting and Ministerial Meeting as well.
According to Zhang, the meeting will also oversee and coordinate the budgets and work programs of the APEC fora.
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