The twenty-first APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, chaired by Indonesia's president Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono, has been concluded and in the words of the president the Summit "went on successfully and was indeed very productive." During the two-day Summit the central theme of APEC 2013: “Resilient Asia-Pacific, Engine of Global Growth” was discussed thoroughly and a number of strategic points were agreed upon. Seven of these points are highlighted in the APEC joint statement‏, delivered by Yudhoyono on Tuesday (08/10).

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The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), a permanent high-level business advisory group that is created by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), has given five recommendations to the 21 member countries of the APEC. These recommendations involve regional economic integration, sustainable development, entrepreneurship as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), an economic and banking forum, and lastly, a dialogue in the industry sector concerning scientific innovation.

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Although the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit meetings have not finished yet, there are already some interesting results. As has been reported previously, the Indonesian government will release another economic policy package in October. One new policy involves the revision of Indonesia's negative investment list (which lists sectors that are either wholly or partially closed to private foreign and/or domestic investment). Another positive result involves the APEC Environmental Goods List (APEC EG List).

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The government of Indonesia will be firm to convince the international community at the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to place crude palm oil (CPO) - including its derivative products - and rubber on the APEC Environmental Goods List (EG List). In the APEC ministerial meeting in Surabaya (East Java), last April, Indonesia failed to include these products on the list. However, the government will continue its lobby during the current APEC meeting by stressing that these products are environmentally friendly.

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About one week ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders' Week in Bali, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated the 12.7-kilometer long toll road in Bali on Monday (23/09). The toll road, which runs almost entirely on viaducts above the sea, consists of a north-south route from the city of Denpasar to Nusa Dua, as well as a branch to the Denpasar airport (Ngurah Rai International Airport) and a connection to the port of Benoa. Operator of the Bali toll road is Jasamarga Bali Toll, a consortium of state-controlled companies.

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Finance Ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies convened its 20th annual meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, on 19 and 20 September 2013 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Muhamad Chatib Basri, Indonesia's Finance Minister. The meeting was attended by various delegates, including the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Managing Director of the World Bank Group, and the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

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Member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) agreed to form a public-private partnership (PPP) center in order to enhance capacity of the APEC member countries to develop bankable PPP projects. It has been decided by the participating countries that Indonesia will become home to the pilot project. This decision was one of the results of the 2013 APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting (AFMM), which ended on 20 September 2013 in Nusa Dua on the island of Bali.

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Liberalization of trade and investment among the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) members should be expanded and governments should refrain from using any protectionist measures. Meanwhile, the private sector plays an important role in the economic expansion of the Asia-Pacific and governments should create a conducive investment climate for this sector. This was the main message conveyed in the speech of John Kerry, US minister of foreign affairs who replaced Barack Obama at the APEC Leader Summit.

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Although part of the market players on Indonesia's Stock Exchange (IDX) engaged in profit taking after Indonesia's benchmark index (IHSG) climbed for two consecutive days, the index still posted growth of 0.71 percent to 4,418.64 points on Thursday (03/10). Factors that contributed to today's gain were the depreciating US dollar as no solution has been found yet concerning the shutdown, generally rising Asian stock indices and the positive message that is conveyed in the APEC meeting in Bali.

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