Hamid reiterates BD\\\'s interest to be APEC member

Reiterating Bangladesh’s keen interest to become a member country of the APEC, President Abdul Hamid on Sunday hoped that the APEC would consider soon lifting its existing moratorium on including new members. ‘Bangladesh has already expressed its keen interest to become a member country of the APEC, and is hopeful that Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) would consider soon lifting the existing moratorium on including new members,’ he said while speaking at a session of the APEC CEO Summit in Beijing. Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap), moderated the session. The theme of the APEC CEO Summit was ‘The Region beyond APEC: Opportunities for Growth and Cooperation’. President of Myanmar U Thein Sein, President of Lao PDR Choummaly Sayasone, Prime Minister of Cambodia Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen and CEOs and business leaders of different countries attended it. Abdul Hamid said the APEC member countries, along with non-APEC countries like Bangladesh in this Asia Pacific region, need to look forward for raising living standards and education levels through sustainable economic growth, according to a news agency.