• The Chair of the APEC Economic Committee (EC), Robert Buckle, presented a summary of the Economic Policy Report 2008

The press conference by Chair of the APEC Economic Committee, Robert Buckle, dealt with the importance of implementing the Structural Reform –the EC key objective - in the 21 Member Economies to face the global financial crisis, which will have an impact in international transactions.

To restore confidence in the financial system, according to Buckle, there is a need to make progress on the flexibility of the structural policies and avoid opting for protectionism, which in past crises have proved to cause negative effects. The Corporate Governance and Regulatory Reform, among other aspects of the Agenda of the EC, are vital in the current economic situation.

Buckle presented a summary of the 2008 Economic Policy Report, detailing the recent activities of the EC. The report also examines current competition policies of all 21 APEC Economies, highlighting the progress of Peru in preventing monopolies and best practices in regulatory policies since the nineties.

The president of the EC described our competition policy as "sophisticated" and stated that we are "in very good shape" to meet the challenges of the financial crisis. "The competition creates more productive businesses and more active economies”, said Buckle.

The potato, flag product of Peru
On the other hand, during the press conference that was held this morning at the International Media Center (IMC), the Minister of Agriculture of Peru, Carlos Muñoz Leyton, highlighted the enormous biodiversity that our country posses. It has 84 out of 104 life zones recognized in the world. He also highlighted the situation of agriculture in Peru and the role of our tuber, within the theme of APEC's food security.

"Peru produces an average of 3.2 million tons of potatoes, which are cultivated by about 600 thousand producers, most in the high Andean zones, that is, we have the potential for production to meet internal and external market demands," he said.

Similarly, the director of the International Potato Center, Pamela Anderson, said that the potato is the third basic food consumed by people worldwide, after rice and wheat. "Our ongoing goal is to promote the research and conservation of potato varieties in the world, especially in Peru, to ensure food security of the population."