Minister Kono, Minister Hashimoto, Excellencies, colleagues, and friends: It is a pleasure to join you at this year's ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Let me take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to our Japanese hosts. Prime Minister Murayama, Minister Kono, Minister Hashimoto, and their colleagues have worked hard to make our meetings in Osaka a success. After six years of progress and vision, APEC now faces a crucial seventh year of decision. As the guiding force for economic growth and integration in the world's most dynamic region, APEC must not only sustain the momentum it has achieved over the last two years. It must begin to take concrete and far­reaching actions to open up trade and investment in the Asia­Pacific region. If APEC is truly to make history, it must produce results.