Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn (r) speaks at the press conference on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — The upcoming World Economic Forum ASEAN 2018, to be held in mid-September, will focus on entrepreneurship and the fourth industrial revolution in the ASEAN region.

This year’s event will draw the participation of government leaders, international organisations, specialists and top business leaders from ASEAN and other regions.

There will be 55 meetings and sessions during the event, which will discuss ASEAN’s integration into the global economy, the search for new economic models, governance methods and business models for ASEAN enterprises and governments in the context of the fourth industrial revolution, and development of smart infrastructure, startup businesses and innovation.

The WEF ASEAN 2018 event will connect to ASEAN’s overall ideology of becoming a creative and strong region, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn said at the press conference on Wednesday.

“Viet Nam, as the host country of this year’s event, will have the chance to promote its image to the world and stress the nation’s proactive integration into the regional and international communities,” he said.

“The Vietnamese Government also aims to introduce the country’s economy and business community to global investors to strengthen the country’s relations with its partners and top corporations in the world that are keen on making investments in Viet Nam.”

The event will strengthen the bond between Viet Nam and the World Economic Forum in the future, which is expected to contribute to the expansion of Vietnamese markets and the development of modern technologies and financial capital to restructure the country’s economy and achieve higher growth, Sơn added.

WEF President Borge Brende spoke highly of Viet Nam’s economic growth and its competitiveness in the global markets and said he believed the relationship between Viet Nam and the WEF would help improve the Vietnamese economy.

The fourth industrial revolution would bring both opportunities and challenges to ASEAN countries, he said, adding that the WEF expected to improve its bond with ASEAN to overcome challenges and offer higher benefits to people of the region. — VNS