Seoul: Foreign and trade ministers from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies will hold a two-day meeting next week just ahead of the upcoming summit, the foreign ministry said Thursday. The APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) will be held from Wednesday through Thursday, just days before the two-day leaders' summit, beginning Friday, the ministry said in a release.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting (CSOM) on APEC preparations is set for Monday through Tuesday. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo will co-chair the AMM, during which the participating economies will discuss regional challenges and ways to promote shared prosperity through digital cooperation, as well as exploring measures to strengthen supply chains and boost trade.
The ministers aim to adopt a joint statement that reflects the outcomes of this year's CSOM, other sectoral meetings, and high-level dialogues, as well as APEC's overall achievements in 2025. The meeting will bring together foreign and trade ministers from all 21 APEC member economies, as well as representatives from observer organizations, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.
Top officials from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and World Trade Organization will also attend the sessions. The CSOM will focus on discussions regarding artificial intelligence cooperation and responses to demographic change, the key agenda items South Korea has presented for this year's APEC summit.