Over 1,000 international delegates to participate in WEF ASEAN 2018

Thứ Sáu, 07/09/2018, 08:12

PSNews - "All preparations of contents, reception, material facilities, security, cultural promotion have basically been completed, and Vietnam is ready for the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2018 (WEF ASEAN), said Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Head of the Organizing Committee, at the international press conference about this event on September 6, in Hanoi.

At the press conference, Permanent Deputy Minister Bui Thanh Son stated that as one of the biggest multilateral diplomatic event of Vietnam in 2018, the WEF ASEAN will take place from September 11-13, focusing on the theme “ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution”.

With about 60 working sessions, the event will welcome over 1,000 delegates who are leaders of ASEAN members, regional countries, international organizations, experts and CEO of international corporations.

Permanent Deputy Minister Bui Thanh Son (right) and Director of the World Economic Forum for Asia-Pacific region Justin Wood. Photo: Tuan Anh.

Deputy Minister Son also highlighted five main discussion topics during the event including: Defining a new ASEAN vision on regional integration; Seeking new business models and business management in digital age; Seeking driving forces and new business models for ASEAN states in Industry 4.0; Enterprises and new approaches to global, regional leadership; and Promoting infrastructure development, capacity training, job creation, startups, innovation in Industry 4.0.

By hosting the event, Vietnam expects to step up cooperation with partners, leading world enterprises, expand markets and attract high-quality investments and advanced technologies for the country’s economic restructuring and renovation of growth model, he added.

He believed that with the good preparations of the host Vietnam, the close coordination with the World Economic Forum, the support of partners and the active participation of media and press agencies, WEF ASEAN 2018 will be successful and bring us fruitful results, contributing to strengthening the solidarity, unification and prosperity of ASEAN; promoting the beautiful image of Vietnam as well as accelerating innovation of businesses for further global integration.

Co-chairing the press conference with Permanent Deputy Minister Bui Thanh Son, Director of the World Economic Forum (WEF) for Asia-Pacific region Justin Wood said that over the past eight years, Vietnam in collaboration with WEF held successfully two major events namely WEF on East Asia 2010 and WEF Mekong 2016.

For this year’s edition, Mr. Justin Wood highly appreciated the efforts of Vietnam in each phase of preparation as the host. In particular, he expressed his delight as WEF ASEAN 2018 will welcome the participation of many high-ranking leaders in the region and the world.

Regarding this year’s theme, he emphasized that "ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution" is a timely and practical topic, answering questions of common concern of ASEAN countries and many other countries in the world. This topic is also associated with ASEAN theme for 2018 “Resilient and Innovative.

Earlier, WEF President Borge Brende spoke highly of Vietnam’s robust economic growth and competitiveness. He stressed that Industry 4.0 brings both opportunities and challenges to ASEAN nations and the WEF wants to foster partnership with ASEAN to tackle these challenges for the benefits of all nations in the region.

The WEF was established in 1971 as a non-profit foundation and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

By Linh Bui