(VOVWORLD) - The World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2018 (WEF ASEAN 2018), one of Vietnam’s most important diplomatic activities this year, concluded in Hanoi last Thursday. The forum which discussed issues concerning government, businesses, and people in ASEAN countries in the 4thIndustrial Revolution was a venue for exchanging ideas and promoting creativity to boost regional economic growth. Vietnam has been praised for successful hosting of the event.
 Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and other delegates attending WEF ASEAN 2018 |
According to the Organizing Board and a WEF representative, WEF ASEAN 2018 was the most successful regional forum in 27 years.
WEF ASEAN 2018 stoked international interest
The 3-day event’s 60 discussions involving 1,000 delegates from ASEAN countries and the world’s leading economic groups covered important global issues in the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
The forum was the subject of 8,000 articles that attracted 7 million views on social networks with nearly 13,000 comments.
Discussions focused on ways to take advantage of the 4th Industrial Revolution, a topic that concerns ASEAN countries and Vietnam in particular. WEF President Borge Brende said: “This was the 27th summit on ASEAN. It has been a remarkable summit. ASEAN is moving very fast and growing very fast. This has been an incredible journey. And you also have seen a lot of progress on global businesses. There were 9 Heads of State, heads of government, and more than 1,000 participants. Also a lot of international businesses were participating here. So I was very pleased with the summit and cooperation with Vietnam.”
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s idea of refining ASEAN’s rules for data sharing and setting up mechanisms to connect national innovation incubators with regional ones received much applause.
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong became the first Vietnamese Party leader to attend the opening session of the World Economic Forum. The Vietnamese Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers and 7 Ministers participated in various discussions at the forum.
Vietnam’s hallmark event
The success of WEF ASEAN 2018 has elevated Vietnam’s prestige in the international arena. It reflects Vietnam’s dynamism, openness, hospitality, and capacity for connecting, coordinating, and organizing international events. It affirms the country’s vanguard role in ASEAN and proves that Vietnam is an active member in connecting ASEAN with partners and developing a prosperous ASEAN Community. Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said: "While strengthening unity, consensus, internal strength, and self-reliance, ASEAN is promoting cooperation with other regions and the world. ASEAN wants to work closely with the WEF in the near future to realize its ideas. Vietnam’s goal for WEF ASEAN 2018 was to work with the WEF to enhance partnerships for peace, stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia.”
With the success of WEF ASEAN 2018 and APEC Year 2017, Vietnam has proved itself to be a secure venue and showed its capacity to host a major international event.