Regional cooperation recipe for success

The high-profile meetings among the world's top leaders this month - from the Nov 5-11 APEC conference in Beijing to the G20 summit in Brisbane on Nov 15-16 - have raised hopes of finding solutions to the rising traditional and non-traditional security problems across the globe, as well as the geopolitical issues arising out of the Ukraine crisis.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Group of 20 may differ in their perceptions of global and regional governance, but they share a number of similarities when it comes to their long-term goals and functions, with the common principle being non-binding cooperation and agreement.

APEC is dedicated to building a pan-Pacific free trade zone, in which the free flow of products, services and capital will replace traditional trade and lift investment barriers. Likewise, in a broader sense, the G20 aims to achieve strong, balanced and sustainable growth in the world economy despite having members from as diverse economic and geographical regions as the European Union and Latin America.