The priorities to be advanced by APEC during the Philippines’ year as Chair in 2015 were set by Senior Officials from the region’s 21 member economies at the conclusion of a key two-day planning meeting on Tuesday in Manila, with focus on expanding the benefits for more of the region’s 3 billion people and powering a new generation of trade, investment and sustainable economic growth amid changing global conditions. Fostering SMEs' participation in the regional and global economy has been identified as one of the key focus areas for 2015.