(VOVworld) – The Vietnam 2014 Business Forum on Sustainable Development opened in Hanoi on Friday. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and more than 200 representatives from international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and business associations attended the event.

Deputy Prime Minister Dam, Chairman of the National Council for Sustainable Development and Improving Competitiveness said: “In the context of ASEAN moving toward a community by 2015 and many global and multilateral trade agreements being negotiated, Vietnam with a 100 million population needs to narrow the development gap with other regional countries. The government will work with business associations and the relevant agencies to improve the business environment from this moment on.”

Deputy Prime Minister Dam stressed the determination to implement Vietnam’s sustainable development strategy with a focus on environmental protection, climate change responses, social security, and the role of business. He also called on international organizations to continue supporting Vietnam in these fields.