HANOI, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- A symposium on priorities for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2017 opened in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Thursday.

The symposium, among the first event series of APEC 2017, drew participation of some 350 delegates from APEC members, the APEC Secretariat, APEC observers, representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization, among others.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Pham Binh Minh, Vietnamese deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said the year 2017 will be the second time for Vietnam to host the APEC meetings.

Ten years after Vietnam first hosted APEC in 2006, the world has now been in a state of constant changes, said Minh, mentioning that global economic slowdown, geographical conflicts, terrorism, trans-national crime, cyber security, inequality, poverty, hunger, epidemic, never-ever-seen climate change are impeding economic growth, sustainable and inclusive development.

Minh urged APEC members to build upon the deliverables achieved in Peru, which hosted APEC in 2016, and in previous years, to fulfill APEC strategies on quality growth, connectivity, structural reform, services competitiveness, and global supply chains.

At the symposium, Minh expected "new ideas to be solicited to set forth priorities for next year under the overarching theme of Creating New Dynamism, Fostering A Shared Future'."

There were five sessions held at the symposium, namely Creating New Dynamism, Fostering A Shared Future; A Sustainable, Innovative and Inclusive APEC Community; Greater Regional Economic Integration; Enhanced Competitiveness and Innovation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the Digital Age; and Food Security and Climate Change.