[NEWS] APEC CAN TAKE - 2

Alluding to what was happening in Japan after the tsunami and earthquake

last year, he said, APEC, via the Emergency Preparedness Working Group, has

been looking at ways on how natural disasters could be tackled, especially

handling issues that could disrupt trade and investment flow.

Among work done by the working group was building a library of APEC-Wide

principles and information resources to support development of emergency

preparedness capabilities in the region.

Muhamad Noor said last year was not only a year of economic difficulties,

but also a year of natural disasters that hit Japan, New Zealand and Thailand,

inflicting widespread devastation, including in APEC-member economies.

"This year, challenges and risks remain in many parts of the world, but many

economists argue that Asia-Pacific will continue to lead the global economic

recovery and that the outlook for this year is cause for optimism," he added.

Some 100 Malaysia''s industry players and "think tanks" are attending the

roundtable hosted by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies.

-- BERNAMA

NBB NBB TOM