Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son

The WEF ASEAN, scheduled to be held in Hanoi from September 11-13, is one of the major multilateral external relations activities to be held in Vietnam in 2018, with the participation of the many high-ranking leaders from the ASEAN member countries and other countries in the region, in addition to major international organisations and nearly 1,000 representatives from leading global corporations, and hundreds of international correspondents. The successful organisation of this event has been identified as a foreign policy focus of Vietnam in 2018, contributing to the concretisation of the Party and State guidelines in order to improve the quality and efficiency of multilateral foreign affairs, as well as make practical contributions to the ASEAN Community building process, and further enhance Vietnam's position in the region and in the international arena.

Vietnam is a reliable and preferred partner of WEF in the region

Since Vietnam and the WEF began their cooperation in 1989, the WEF has been an important forum that has contributed to the socio-economic development and international integration of Vietnam. Vietnam always attaches great importance to cooperating with the WEF and has actively participated in and made outstanding contributions and initiatives to the prestigious global forum. In 2010, as the ASEAN Chair, Vietnam successfully hosted the World Economic Forum on East Asia (predecessor of the ASEAN WEF). In 2016, at the initiative of Vietnam, the first WEF on the Mekong region was held in Hanoi to connect and promote the Mekong region with the world's largest corporations. Vietnam is also actively participating in WEF initiatives and activities in such areas as agriculture, trade, infrastructure, and information technology, among others, to access and cooperate with the leading global enterprises to expand the market and attract investment.

To date, Vietnam is the first and only country in Southeast Asia that the WEF has signed a cooperation agreement under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). This is a very important cooperation content, in which WEF supports and advises Vietnam to improve its capacity to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The WEF considers the successful implementation of the cooperation agreement with Vietnam as a model for the WEF to expand the capability of its application to other countries in the region.

The WEF ASEAN Summit is an international focus in 2018

This year’s ASEAN WEF is taking place as the world is witnessing rapid and complicated developments, along with the fourth industrial revolution that is intensively impacting the global economy. The theme of the forum "ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship in the fourth industrial revolution” proposed by Vietnam, is relevant to the ASEAN theme of "self-reliant and innovative ASEAN”, as it show the solidarity, dynamism and self-reliance of ASEAN countries in taking advantage of and overcoming challenges from Industry 4.0. Major contents of the event include the building of infrastructure systems and smart cities, the development of high technology agriculture amidst Industry 4.0 and creating jobs in the context of abundant workforces in ASEAN.

The WEF ASEAN is a prestigious forum for leaders and business communities both inside and outside the region to recognise and evaluate the stature and impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to countries in the region, especially its impact on businesses and people. Meanwhile, the forum will provide an opportunity to share ideas, vision, directions and appropriate policies to stimulate the potential, creativity and dynamism of enterprises and people to enhance their self-capacity and maintain the dynamic development of ASEAN countries, thereby contributing to the building of a people-centred ASEAN community.

It is no coincidence that the ASEAN WEF Conference in 2018 has attracted the participation of many senior leaders and numerous international corporations, as well as the participation of the Founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF. That not only reflects the theme and contents of the ASEAN WEF but also affirms Vietnam's important role and position in ASEAN, the region and the world, especially after the country successfully organised the APEC Year 2017.

The WEF ASEAN 2018 conference will contribute to expanding the relationship between Vietnam and other countries in the region in a deeper and more stable and effective manner. During the meeting, official visits to Vietnam by senior leaders from regional countries will be held in order to deepen the bilateral relationship as well as strengthen cooperation in regional and international issues.

With the attendance of nearly 1,000 international business leaders, the WEF ASEAN 2018 is a good opportunity to strongly promote the dynamic image of the country and people of Vietnam, and to convey to the international business community the message of the Party and State's determination and policies on further promoting the comprehensive renewal of the country, the restructuring of the economy and renovation of the growth model, as well as policies and efforts to build a constructive government of integrity and drastic action and improve the business environment, encourage start-ups, and stimulate innovation and creativity.

In the framework of the event, many activities will be held to attract the participation of local businesses and other promotion activities in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Quang Ninh. With these activities, the WEF ASEAN is expected to bring many practical and specific benefits for ministries, sectors, localities and businesses and create opportunities for connecting and promoting cooperation with leading global corporations to attract investment in association with the transfer of high technology, expansion of export market, and tourism development of Vietnam in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The WEF ASEAN is also a good opportunity to promote exchanges, approach new ideas, and grasp the development trend of the world and the region to implement strategies and plans for socio-economic development of the country as well as the development of Vietnamese enterprises.

In addition, the WEF ASEAN is also a festival of ASEAN countries. With the coordination effort of Vietnam, the event is dedicated to promoting ASEAN countries with rich contents and vivid forms, expressing the message of the multicultural ASEAN community that shares the same vision and the same identity. This is unique and unprecedented point in comparison with previous WEF conferences.