VIETNAM: Australian and American leaders enjoy a bit of Hanoi before continuing their high-level meetings for the 2006 Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum.

APEC leaders enjoyed a bit of Hanoi on Sunday (November 19) morning, before continuing their high-level meetings for the 2006 Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum. Dressed in shorts and running shoes, Australia's Prime Minister John Howard walked around Hoan Kiem lake in the centre of picturesque Hanoi, along with dozens of other Vietnamese. Morning exercises are a long tradition in Vietnam, where many people join together in mass aerobics or tai chi. U.S. President George W. Bush began the day by attending a church service with his wife, Laura, at Cau Bac. The ornate church in central Hanoi was packed with more than 400 parishioners, Catholics and Protestants alike, set amidst a maze of alleyways filled with shops and cafes. The United States dropped Vietnam from its religious rights blacklist ahead of Bush's visit. But the president said on Friday (November 17) it remained a subject of concern. President Bush said he was touched by the simplicity and beauty of the Hanoi church service. "A whole society is a society which welcomes basic freedom. There is no more basic freedom then the freedom to to worship as you see here. Laura and I were proud to worship with the believers here in Hanoi," Bush said. Worshippers at Cau Bac agreed. "We are very glad and happy, as the president is Christian like us. He has a heart, as God taught him to unite with all people. I believe that after his visit, Vietnam and the U.S. will co-operate better," Nguyen Thi Thao, a worshipper, said. The 21 leaders at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum were to meet for four hours at a new convention centre on the outskirts of the capital before donning traditional Vietnamese silk ao dai tunics for the annual photo. Asia-Pacific leaders will promise progress on freeing up global trade at a summit in Hanoi dominated, as in previous years, by diplomatic manoeuvring over North Korea. At the end of the day APEC chairman Vietnam will issue a "Leaders Declaration" that will show they agreed to work together on issues ranging from climate change and customs procedures to economic security threats and free trade. But none of the agreements is legally binding for a group that prides itself on operating by consensus. And behind the warmth and smiles, questions have risen over the group's direction and relevance.

ITN Source | November 19, 2006

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