DUBAI: Malaysia’s new Ambassador to Chile AbuBakar Mamat said Chilean President Sebastian Piñera has confirmed he will attend the 2020 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, which will take place virtually on Nov 20, 2020.
Malaysia, the host of APEC 2020 is focusing on the response in mitigating the health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and launching of the APEC Post-2020 Vision.
The discussion took place after AbuBakar presented his Letters of Credence to Piñera during a ceremony held at La Moneda Palace on Thursday in the country’s capital Santiago.
Also present at the ceremony was Chilean Foreign Minister Andrés Allamand.
“We discussed the preparation of the APEC Economic leaders virtual meet on Nov 20, 2020. President Piñera has confirmed his attendance at the (first APEC) virtual meet,” AbuBakar told Bernama when contacted here, today.
APEC Economic Leaders’ are expected to produce a declaration reflecting Malaysia’s theme of “Optimising Human Potential towards a Resilient Future of Shared Prosperity. Pivot, Prioritise, Progress.”
The leaders are also expected to set a new vision which will guide the forum’s work in the next decades. The new APEC Post-2020 vision will build on APEC’s goal of free and open trade and investment, known as the Bogor Goals, whose deadline is this year.
During a discussion with the President after the ceremony, AbuBakar said he also conveyed the warm greetings and good wishes from Seri Paduka Banginda The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to Piñera.
The Malaysia-Chile Free Trade Agreement (MCFTA) is the first bilateral FTA between Malaysia and a Latin American country.
Among Malaysia’s major exports to Chile are electrical and electronics products, chemical and chemical products, rubber products and palm oil-based products, and imports are metalliferous ores and metal, manufactures of metal, seafood, and fresh, chilled or frozen and processed food. Sources BERNAMA
