DPM Hue attends opening ceremony of WEF Davos 2018

Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue attends the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2018 (WEF Davos 2018), Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2018 - Photo: VGP/Thanh Chung

The four-day WEF Davos 2018 will have more than 400 discussions on four key objectives including driving sustained economic progress, navigating a multipolar and multi-conceptual world, overcoming divisions in society and shaping the agile governance of technology.

Under the theme “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World”, it will convene over 3,000 leaders from business, government, international organizations, civil society, academia, media and the arts to set an agenda that drives greater multistakeholder collaboration to address the political, economic and societal challenges.

Prosperity of ASEAN promoted 

Speaking at the session of the ASEAN Regional Strategy Group, Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue supposed that ASEAN’s development and integration are facing huge opportunities and challenges in the context of the fourth industrial revolution, cooperation and competitiveness between large economies, protectionism and complex happenings of climate change. 

He proposed the Group cooperate with the Governments of the nations in ASEAN to take measures to promote the prosperity of ASEAN, focus on discussing issues on strategy such as maintaining the dynamic, competitive and self-reliant capacity of ASEAN, establishing the ASEAN Community of equal development and upholding the central role of ASEAN in cooperative mechanisms and regional security as well as enhancing regional economic connections. 

Viet Nam is willing to hold dialogues and accelerate close cooperation with nations, partners and businesses in ASEAN, he affirmed, adding that the nation is preparing with the WEF to organize the WEF-ASEAN Summit 2018 in Ha Noi in September this year to share new vision, innovation and seize investment opportunities in the development and integration process of ASEAN. 

Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue meets head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2018 - Photo: VGP/Thanh Chung

VN-EFTA Free Trade Agreement to be inked

At the meeting with head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann on the sidelines of WEF Davos, the two sides hailed the developments between Viet Nam and Switzerland, consenting to strengthen cooperation at multi-lateral forums and expressing desires to sign a free trade agreement with the Viet Nam- European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the grouping comprising Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein in the first half of 2018. 

Deputy PM Hue appraised the Swiss Government’s commitments to providing Official Development Assistance for Viet Nam in 2017-2020, suggesting Switzerland continue cooperating and supporting Viet Nam to set up high-quality education system and granting more scholarships for Vietnamese students. 

By Thuy Dung