Puerto Vallarta, January 14 (RHC)-- The 22nd Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) opened Monday in Mexico's southwestern city of Puerto Vallarta, with parliamentary leaders from 25 countries in the region participating.

According to participating officials, the forum offers the opportunity to exchange successful experiences on healthy parliamentary practices to perfect the legislative work in the APPF member countries.

Asia-Pacific countries represent the most dynamic region in the world in terms of economic growth and demographic significance, said Forum Chairman and Mexican Senate President Raul Cervantes Andrade in his inaugurating speech.

Moreover, the event aims to promote trade and political integration between Latin America and the Asia Pacific region, an area deemed of strategic value for the Americas, given the outstanding performance of the Asia-Pacific region's economy in recent years.

The APPF is a loosely-structured and non-exclusive forum of national parliamentarians who attend either as delegates of their parliaments or in their personal capacities.

Established in Tokyo in 1993, the APPF is a loosely-structured and non-exclusive forum of national parliamentarians who attend either as delegates of their parliaments or in their personal capacities.