Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng speaks at the working session. — VNA/VNS Photo Lê Huy Hải

HÀ NỘI — The International Press Centre for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2027 needs to be modern, built up to international standards, and capable of handling ever-more-demanding media coverage, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng said.

Hằng, who chairs the APEC 2027 Communications and Culture Subcommittee, made the statement while chairing a meeting in Hà Nội on Friday to review how agencies are teaming up to get the centre built.

The meeting followed the subcommittee’s early-July fact-finding trip to Phú Quốc special zone in the southern province of An Giang to check on preparations.

Around the table were key news outlets like the Vietnam Television, the Voice of Vietnam, the Vietnam News Agency, along with telecom providers VNPT, Viettel, MobiFone and NetNam, plus Sun Group - the project owner.

In her speech, Hằng said communications and cultural activities will take on a hugely important role during APEC Year 2027, giving Việt Nam a platform to project its image, people and culture to international friends.

She said the centre is a core facility for APEC 2027, set to serve thousands of domestic and foreign journalists and hundreds of media outlets covering the event.

With the clock already ticking towards the event, Hằng urged all involved units to stay in lockstep and hold regular exchanges to clear any bottlenecks without delay. She called for the swift completion of construction plans, spatial layout, and technical infrastructure so that the project lands on time, meets top safety and quality standards, and drives a successful APEC Việt Nam Year 2027. — VNA/VNS