VOV.VN -Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed the Vietnamese Party and State’s high regard for the World Economic Forum (WEF) on ASEAN (WEF ASEAN) at a meeting in Hanoi on August 9 with relevant ministries and agencies to review preparatory work for this important event.
At the meeting, organizers, relevant ministries and agencies double checked preparations for the WEF ASEAN, especially those in relation to contents, programs, reception, facilities, logistics, security and health care to ensure the successful hosting of the event in all aspects.
In his speech, Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh highlighted the WEF ASEAN as a major and regionally prestigious forum which will see the participation of senior leaders from regional countries, international organizations and leading global groups.
This is one of the important external activities in 2018, making positive contributions to raising the country’s international profile and promoting national image, thereby providing opportunities for ministries, sectors and localities to expand cooperation with leading groups, to grasp new ideas and to keep abreast with development trends of the region and beyond, Minh said.
He also called for greater joint efforts to take full advantage of the forum in order to utilize advantages, and opportunities for business cooperation with the world’s leading groups which hold huge potential for investment in market expansion, finance and high technology.
The WEF ASEAN set to take place on September 11-13 under the theme 'ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution', is expected to attract a large number of regional leaders, government officials, representatives from leading global groups, and up to 1,000 participants.
The forum will touch upon issues on the region’s geopolitical friction to entrepreneurship and employment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Asia’s New Balance of Power, Factory Asia’s Next Frontier, the Future of Jobs in ASEAN, Asia Economic Outlook, Accelerating the ASEAN Economic Community, ASEAN Pluralism and Designing Cities 4.0.
Topics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, blockchain, drones and fintech, will be raised for discussion. The meeting will also covers workplace sessions on topics such as Sexual Harassment at Work, and Workplace 4.0.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung emphasised the need to further improve institutions and policy frameworks, develop digital infrastructure and data resources, and create the necessary conditions for science, technology, innovation and digital transformation to become new drivers of economic growth.
Prof. Huang Rihan of Huaqiao University in China’s Fujian province said the Vietnamese leader’s address highlighted three major crises currently facing the world - the crisis of the international order, the crisis of development models, and the crisis of strategic trust.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang said that alongside the robust growth of relations between the two countries, defence cooperation has continued to develop extensively and intensively, becoming increasingly practical and effective.
Adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 24, 2024, and opened for signature in Hanoi in October 2025, the convention is the first global multilateral treaty dedicated to combating cybercrime.
The visits also took place at a time when the Philippines is serving as ASEAN Chair in 2026, Singapore is preparing to assume the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2027, and Vietnam is set to host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in 2027.
Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, expressed her emotion at seeing the children’s optimism despite difficult circumstances, noting that both Vietnam and the Philippines place children at the centre of their development policies, from education, health care to child protection.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, his spouse and a high-level Vietnamese delegation departed Manila on June 1, concluding a successful state visit to the Republic of the Philippines from May 31 to June 1 at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his spouse.
Participants reviewed rental housing demand in each area, considering different market segments and target groups. They also examined the gap between supply and demand, and pinpointed issues in policy frameworks.
Vietnam and the Philippines have agreed to elevate their relationship to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership, opening a new phase of cooperation in politics, defence and security, economic ties and other key areas.
Vietnam and the Philippines on June 1 issued a Joint Statement on the Enhanced Strategic Partnership during General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam’s state visit to the Philippines.
Economic cooperation between Vietnam and the Philippines should move to a new level, with greater emphasis on quality, depth and substance, as the two countries seek to maximise opportunities under their newly upgraded Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse are paying state visit to the Philippines from May 31 to June 1 at the invitation of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his spouse.
General Secretary and President To Lam encouraged the Vietnamese in the Philippines to remain united, abide by local laws, contribute practically to the homeland and continue fostering friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
By moving from crisis response to proactive risk reduction, Vietnam has positioned itself as a responsible and mature “architect” of regional peace, said a Malaysia-based expert.
The President Ho Chi Minh monument in the ASEAN Garden holds profound historical, cultural, and diplomatic significance, reflecting the friendship between Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as the solidarity within the ASEAN community.
The trip demonstrates Vietnam's high regard for its friendship and cooperation with the Philippines, as well as with ASEAN and the Southeast Asian region.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam on May 30 met with leaders of major Singaporean corporations, technology companies, financial institutions and banks with long-standing investments and business operations in Vietnam.
General Secretary and President Lam expressed his hope that the community will remain united, preserve the Vietnamese language and cultural identity, and strengthen ties with the homeland.
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in emerging and high-potential fields, including digital transformation, green economy, clean energy transition, new technologies, innovation, smart finance, supply chain resilience, financial centre development and food security.
At the A*STAR Model Factory, one of Singapore’s flagship research and application facilities for smart industry, innovation and digital transformation in production, General Secretary and President Lam expressed his impression of Singapore’s approach in creating conditions for enterprises to directly test technologies before making large-scale investments.