Malaysia as the host of APEC this year has announced that the 2020 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will take place on Friday, 20 November. This will be the first time economic leaders from APEC’s 21 member economies meet virtually.

After successfully hosting the first set of technical meetings in Putrajaya, Malaysia, from 3 to 22 February this year, Malaysia adjusted its hosting year to a digital format after the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 situation as pandemic.

“We applaud Malaysia’s commitment and leadership this year despite the uncertainties and challenges brought by the pandemic,” said APEC Secretariat Executive Director, Dr Rebecca Sta Maria. “APEC officials are working hard, continuing engagement and collaborating digitally across eight different time zones. We are looking forward to the first-ever virtual Leaders’ Meeting and the important and relevant deliverables that will be announced this November.”

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.”

Leaders are also expected to set a new vision which will guide the forum’s work in the next decades. The new vision will build on APEC’s goal of free and open trade and investment, known as the Bogor Goals, whose deadline is this year.

Leading up to the Leaders’ Meeting, Foreign Ministers and Trade Ministers from APEC member economies will come together for the annual APEC Ministerial Meeting which will be held on 16 November and chaired by Mohamed Azmin Ali, Malaysia’s Senior Minister and the Minister of International Trade and Industry.