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PBEC Meets With APEC Director Ambassador Piamsak and PBEC President Dalton Tanonaka discuss priorities, greater cooperation, Hawaii’s appeal HONOLULU (Jan. 15, 2003) - Ambassador Piamsak Milintachinda, the new Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), met yesterday with Dalton Tanonaka, president of the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC). The two leaders had a wide-ranging discussion on key issues facing both regional organizations in the coming year. Both Tanonaka and Amb. Piamsak pledged greater cooperation and mutual support. “I look forward to APEC working more closely with PBEC,” Amb. Piamsak said. Said Tanonaka: “It’s important that regional governments hear the private sector business voice clearly and often, and I welcome the opportunity for more interaction with APEC.” Amb. Piamsak expanded on the priorities he has set for his term. They included Knowledge-Based Economies, Human Security, Financial Architecture, and SMEs. And Amb. Piamsak reiterated his fondness for Hawaii as a meeting venue. “Whether traveling from Japan or Mexico, here I don’t have to suffer with jetlag,” he said. “For most APEC economies, Hawaii is an easily accessible location with a broad range of facilities... very well equipped to host meetings.” Amb. Milintachinda, who took office as director of APEC last week, is in Honolulu for a conference being held in conjunction with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). PBEC is an international association of senior business leaders representing 1,000 major corporations in 20 economies around the Pacific, which together account for more than US$4 trillion in global sales and employ more than 10 million people. Founded in 1967 with the goal of expanding trade and investment through fostering open markets, PBEC has been headquartered in Hawaii since 1992. Founded in 1989, APEC’s 21 members include the major economies of the region, and the group has become the one of the primary vehicles to promote open trade and economic cooperation between governments. PBEC Vice President Steve Olson also attended yesterday’s meeting. Amb. Piamsak was accompanied by Bruce Bennett from the APEC’s permanent secretariat in Singapore. Media Contact: Ryan Kawailani Ozawa Manager, Information Technology & Communications PBEC International Secretariat 900 Fort Street, Suite 1080 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA 96813 E-Mail: ryan@pbec.org

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Last Modified: 15 January 2003