APEC SME Ministers'sMeeting
Ministers discuss issues facing SME? in APEC region such as securing funds, cooperation

APEC Small and Medium Enterprise Ministers Meeting concluded its 10-day run at the Inter-Burgo Hotel in Daegu attended by 1,800 people including ministers from 21 APEC member countries such as the U.S., Japan, China and Russia, representatives of international organizations, officials of SME's and business women. About 1,000 participants came from South Korea at the international gathering designed to take on policies for the direction of policies for SME's and ideas to spur trade and investment among member countries. The meeting will submit its recommendations to the APEC Summit scheduled for Nov.18-19 in Busan. The ministers decided on the Declaration by Small and Medium Enterprise Ministers at the end of their discussions on current issues for SME's including securing funds and cooperation among them. Attachment to the declaration included detailed action plans and a reform strategy for SME? to be implemented in a five-year cycle. The ministers worked on the establishment of SME Reform Center designed to create education programs and reform evaluation indicators for SME? at the meeting to be located in Daejeon.
The official agenda for the ministers included a Ministers Meeting, expert-level meeting for SME's, business forum and women leaders network seven altogether. The 6th SME Technology Innovation Exhibition was held as an unofficial event.
At the Ministers Meeting to be held from Sept.1-2 will be attended by ministers and vice ministers of 21 member countries and the secretary-general of APEC. Kim Seong-jin, chief of the Small Business Administration, will represent Korea.
Government officials in charge of SME policies dealt with reform policies at the SME Expert-Level Meeting Aug.29-30.
Expert-level officials in charge of policies for small firms also held a meeting on their current issues.
Information Forum (Aug. 27): about 100 managers in charge of policies and small businessmen tried to bridge the gap between information holders and searched for means to strengthen information.
Business Forum (Aug.28-31): This has been an event for civilian organizations,
where agendas included seminars, an investment forum, and product displays in which about 600 participated. Vice Chairman Yoon Jong-yong of Samsung Electronics delivered a keynote speech entitled, "World Trends and Reform Business Management."
2005 APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Information Forum
The Small Business Administration (Chief Kim Seong-jin) and the Korea Information Management Institute for Small and Medium Enterprises (KIMI) held on Aug. 27 an international meeting under the title of '2005 APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Information Forum' at Inter-burgo Hotel in Daegu designed to spur the joint efforts for the exchange of information among small and medium firms in the APEC region. They scheduled the meeting simultaneously with '2005 APEC SME's Ministers Conference.' KIMI hosted a similar meeting on July, 2004, playing a big role for sharing information and support policies among small and medium firms in the 16 member countries and the organization followed it with another meeting this time for 11 member countries including workshops providing education and training for small and medium firms in the member countries.
With such a pool of experience as a base, KIMI plans to realize the speedy exchange of information among small and medium firms in the APEC region. The meeting broke into the opening ceremony, main conference, and meetings for cases with a keynote address delivered by former Minister of Information and Communication Bae Soon-hoon with the title of "Strategies for Small and Medium Firms Network in the World Market." At the preliminary conference, the presentations were made on information speedy strategy to spur management reform for SME's in the APEC region and effective education and training policies. Also included were EU's policies for spurring information for SME's and their trends.
At the case meetings, discussions will be held on drafting a suggestion statement to ?005 APEC SME's Ministers Meeting?dealing with spurring information with representatives of member countries.
"APEC Region Information Forum Community"that has been pushed by South Korea in the past two years has been passed on to the next stages to boost its development through the hosting of "APEC SME's Information Forum."
2005 10th APEC Women Leaders Network Meeting
2005 10th APEC Women Leaders Network Meeting opened on Aug.24 with First Lady Kwon Yang-sook, Kim Seong-jin, chief of the Small Business Administration and women leaders from all walks of life attending about 600 altogether at the Inter-Burgo Hotel in Daegu.
The meeting hosted by the Small Business Administration with the support of the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association, the APEC Women Leaders Network has been held on the heels of the APEC SME Ministers Meeting since 1996 assembling in one-place women government leaders, academics, and civilian organizations of 21 APEC countries.
The meeting with the theme of " The Prosperity of Women Enterprises through Reform; A New Vision for Women Entrepreneurs" has touched on various issues faced by women in setting up framework for APEC's policies at the meeting and they have been presented at the APEC SME Ministers Meeting Sept. 1-2.
It was also significant that the meeting celebrated its 10th anniversary and it was held in South Korea. They looked back at the meeting's history and searched for the new direction for its policies to move up a step in the ladders of progress.
The meeting also had a number of supportive events including Women Expo Korea 2005, which put on display products manufactured by women's business firms in Korea to attract trade and investment with women leaders participating in the APEC event. The display included seven sections with 52 booths operated by 52 firms, showing off such products as fashionable clothes, jewelry, and traditional foods.

The 30th APEC Energy Working Group (EWG) Meeting
The 30th APEC Energy Working Group and side meetings took place Aug.22-26 in Ulsan. EWG30 Meeting predates the 7th APEC Energy Ministers Meeting scheduled for October in Gyeongju. South Korea hosted the meeting again following the 26th meeting in two years.
It hosted the 5th meeting in August 1992, and 26th meeting in December 2003.
Along with EWG30 meeting, there were a number of side meetings including APERC workshop, EBN conference, the 7th Energy Ministers Meeting and the 2nd Mining Ministers Meeting preparatory meetings.
For these meetings, about 100 people took part including John Ryan, high-level government officials of the member countries, EWG head office, EBN (EWG Business Network) and APERC (Asia-Pacific Energy Research Center).
APERC workshop took care of such matters as the 13th EBN meeting and the 3rd preparation work for the energy ministers meeting and the second preparation work for the mining ministers meeting on Aug. 23. Energy Working Group meetings took place Aug. 24 and 25. On Aug. 26, the participants toured industrial establishments.
Joo Bong-hyun, resources policy director-general of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, represented South Korea at the meeting, which consisted of 15 altogether including expert-level officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and related government organizations such as the Korea National Oil Corp.
At the 30th EWG meeting, government representatives of the member countries dealt with securing energy security under long-term plans for sustainable development, along with heated discussions on energy in general.
The group also discussed short-term policies for high-energy prices the exchange of information on real time and long-term measures including investment in energy, energy efficiency and natural gas trading.
EWG also discussed preparation matters for meetings with high-level OPEC officials at the APEC Energy Ministers Meeting and its agenda and draft of joint statement to be issued following the meeting. nw

APEC Small Enterprise Ministers hold a joint press conference after their meeting in Daegu Sept.1-2.

Kim Seong-jin, chief of the Small Business Administration.

Dignitaries open the 2005 Inno-Tech Show at APEC Small Enterprise Minister? Meeting.

Kim Seong-jin, chief of the Small Business Administration, delivers a speech at the 10th APEC Women Leaders Network Meeting with First Lady Kwon Yang-sook attending.