The 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum aims to pull together to make the region center for global economic growth, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said here Monday.

Inaugurating the 21th APEC summit, themed "Resilient Asia- Pacific, Engine of Global Growth", Yudhoyono said the meeting was convened at a very critical juncture when developed countries showed signs of improvement while emerging market is trending downwards.

"Our objective is to make the region the epicenter for the world's economic advancement," said the president.

He called for renewed efforts and close collaboration with business community to achieve three priorities -- attaining the Bogor Goals, achieving sustainable development with equity and promoting connectivity.

The APEC economies are guided by the shared commitment to realize the Bogor Goals for free and open trade and investment in the region by 2020.

"We need to ensure an open, rule-based, transparent and non- discriminatory multilateral trade system," Yudhoyono said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also attended Monday's summit, warned against a world trade regime fragmented by various free trade arrangements, calling for determination to conclude the long- stalled Doha Round of global trade talks.

APEC leaders will issue a joint declaration by the end of their meeting on Tuesday. As the highest-level meeting of the APEC, the informal economic leaders' meeting has been held annually since its first convention in Seattle, the United States in November 1993.

Last year's summit was convened in Vladivostok, Russia. Endi

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