Officials and delegates at the meeting on the sidelines of the Autumn Economic Forum 2026 (AEF 2026) in HCM City on October 28. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City People’s Committee Chairman Nguyễn Văn Được received World Economic Forum (WEF) managing director Stephan Mergenthaler on the sidelines of the Autumn Economic Forum (AEF) in HCM City on Wednesday.

He thanked Mergenthaler and the WEF for their support and cooperation, which had helped the event achieve its initial objectives.

He said the forum’s activities over the previous two days had helped strengthen links between businesses, between businesses and governments, and between governments.

The discussions and plenary sessions had also received positive feedback from participants, he said.

He highlighted several developments announced at the forum earlier that day, including the first 10 members of the Việt Nam International Financial Centre in HCM City, projects granted in-principle investment approval or investment licences, and cooperation programmes between Vietnamese and international partners.

He said Việt Nam sought not only to attract foreign investment but also to cooperate with international partners on investment initiatives.

Mergenthaler congratulated the city on the forum’s progress, describing it as an important signal of HCM City’s ambitions.

He said the WEF wanted its cooperation with the city, particularly through the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and other joint activities, to make a practical contribution to the development goals of HCM City and Việt Nam.

Được proposed exploring how the AEF could contribute to or be integrated with activities surrounding the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in 2027.

Mergenthaler expressed the WEF’s willingness to support a high-level gathering in conjunction with the summit.

He said the two sides could build on their successful cooperation and explore ways to strengthen it during the summit, which would attract considerable international attention.

He invited Được to attend the WEF’s annual meeting in Davos in January 2027.

Earlier today, HCM City and WEF also announced an official strategic partnership, marking a new phase of cooperation between the city and one of the world’s leading platforms for dialogue, connectivity and initiatives to drive growth.

The partnership reflects the city’s determination to strengthen international ties, mobilise global knowledge and resources, and foster new drivers of development. — VNS