COVID-19: New Zealand says APEC 2021 to be virtual summit
30 June, 2020
The gross annual APEC summit of Asia-Pacific leaders will be virtual up coming year to avoid travel risks linked to the global coronavirus pandemic, 2021 hosts New Zealand said Tuesday (Jun 30).
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said holding the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit over the internet, instead of in Auckland, was a "pragmatic" response to the crisis.
"COVID-19 offers seriously impacted how we conduct international diplomacy," he said in a statement.
"Given the current global environment, likely to have such a sizable level of high-level visitors found in New Zealand from past due 2020 onwards is impractical."
A lot more than 20,000 persons were likely to visit Innovative Zealand for the 21-nation summit in November 2021 and different lead-in meetings.
"If we had hosted an in-person APEC we'd have seen thousands of men and women entering NZ from late 2020 onwards, most from COVID-19 hotspots," Peters said.
"We simply couldn't guarantee these people can enter New Zealand without having to be quarantined."
Your choice to go virtual also eases a logistical headache for organisers, who were desperate for sufficient resort rooms in Auckland after construction of the planned venue was delayed by an enormous fire in October this past year.
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