Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Bùi Hoàng Phương at the 3rd Southeast Asia Business Forum, organised by the French Ministry of Foreign Trade on February 12. — VNA/VNS Photo

PARIS — Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Bùi Hoàng Phương led a Vietnamese delegation to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris from February 10-11, reaffirming Việt Nam's commitment to AI application to socio-economic development and international collaboration in this field.

Co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit brought together leaders from nearly 60 countries and territories, along with international organisations, major technology firms such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, and leading AI experts. 

Discussions at the event focused on five key areas: public interest, employment, investment, ethics, and regulation. A significant outcome of the summit was the signing of the Paris AI Declaration by 60 nations, calling for promoting AI governance around the globe to ensure transparency, fairness, and sustainability during the development of this technology.

The Deputy Minister’s participation underscored Việt Nam's strong commitment to integrating AI into economic and social development. The summit also provided Việt Nam with opportunities to explore partnerships with international partners, stay updated on global AI trends, and refine its policies for effective AI application in critical sectors such as health care, education, and the digital economy.

This was also a chance for the country to demonstrate its active role in the international AI community, working towards a sustainable and humanistic AI future.

On the sidelines of the summit, Phương attended the 3rd Southeast Asia Business Forum, organised by the French Ministry of Foreign Trade on February 12.

There, he highlighted Việt Nam's special advantages such as political stability, leaders' strong determination in boosting science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, a favourable geographical location that makes it a gateway to ASEAN, and the long-standing relations with France, which help to not only foster ties with France but also strengthen connections between ASEAN countries and the European nation.

The Deputy Minister expressed his hope for increased French investments in Việt Nam and the ASEAN region at large.

Phương also had a meeting with Laurent Saint-Martin, French Minister for Foreign Trade and Overseas French Affairs, who reaffirmed France’s support for Việt Nam's high technology development and emphasised that President Emmanuel Macron’s planned visit to Việt Nam in 2025 will provide a good occasion for both sides to realise such commitments.

The host official noted that the visit is expected to herald a new phase in bilateral ties and further promote cooperation projects in various fields, particularly digital transformation, AI, innovation, and sustainable technology. 

Phương emphasised that Việt Nam is actively developing a AI-related legal framework, and that both state-owned and private enterprises are interested in this area, promising many opportunities for Việt Nam – France cooperation.

Both sides agreed that now is the ideal time to strengthen collaboration in AI and semiconductor sectors. 

As part of his visit, Phương also toured Việt Nam's exhibition booth at the AI Action Summit and met with officials at the Vietnamese Embassy in France. — VNS