Foreign and economic ministers from 21 economies in the Asia Pacific region posed for a group photograph on Wednesday. The APEC ministerial meeting is being held at the National Museum in Lima.

The two-day ministerial meeting is focusing on global economic issues, APEC's support for the WTO Doha Round negotiations and the APEC regional economic integration.

Other topics to be discussed include corporate social responsibility, human security, APEC institutional reform, trade and investment. The talks will also focus on structural reform, anti-corruption and transparency, economic and technical cooperation, climate change and APEC food system.

The APEC foreign and trade ministers are also preparing a report and other documents for the leaders' meeting this weekend. The report is expected to contain recommendations related to major APEC themes, such as trade and investment liberalization and facilitation and regional economic integration.

A total of 3,600 delegates, including 19 leaders and 55 ministers, from APEC member economies are expected to attend the leaders' weekend meeting.

APEC leaders are expected to issue a special statement on the current global financial crisis. The declaration will be a "complement" to the action plan adopted at the G-20 summit in Washington last week.

APEC was established in 1989. The 21 member economies of APEC account for 49 percent of world trade and represent 55 percent of the world's Gross Domestic Product.

(CCTV November 20, 2008)