Statement

by

General Prayut Chan-o-cha (Ret.), Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand

Bangkok, 10 February 2022

This year, Thailand is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum as the region aims for an inclusive and sustainable recovery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Next week, APEC delegates will begin their first set of meetings to roll out the year's agenda, and advance APEC's work to implement the Aotearoa Plan of Action agreed last year to achieve the Putrajaya Vision 2040, which guides APEC's actions for the next twenty years.
 
The theme of APEC 2022 is "Open. Connect. Balance.". Our priorities are to make APEC open to all opportunities, connected in all dimensions and balanced in all aspects. Thailand's theme is driven by our vision to address the imbalances revealed by the pandemic and achieve growth through the integration of the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) model, three well-established economic development approaches, into the region's economy.
 
APEC's work is a long-term pursuit that requires continual and coordinated efforts. Following through on members' commitments to the Asia-Pacific, I am delighted to announce that the United States of America will host APEC in 2023 and Peru will host APEC in 2024.
 
Together, we will fulfill our shared goal of an open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific community for all our people and future generations.
 
I look forward to welcoming APEC Leaders to Thailand in November when we will set the goals for the region.