Economic forum seeks ways to maintain national growth

VietNamNet Bridge – The second Viet Nam Economic Forum opens in Ha Noi today, with about 600 delegates gathering to discuss the way ahead for the nation’s economy.

The two-day international forum, which focuses this year on ways to sustain Viet Nam’s growth, is organised by the Ministry of Planning and Investment in co-ordination with Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Asia News Network, an organisation grouping 19 Asian newspapers.

Participants will hear speeches from high-ranking officials from Viet Nam and from around the world, including Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung, Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan as well as other Vietnamese ministers. The forum’s agenda includes discussions on ways to solve the nation’s shortage of highly skilled human resources as well as the need to improve infrastructure, along with other issues related to the current economic situation in Viet Nam.

Delegates will make a fact-finding trip to industrial parks and export processing zones in the northern province of Hai Duong as well as meet local officials tomorrow.

At the sidelines of the Viet Nam Economic Forum, Viet Nam News spoke with three members of the forum’s organising board.

* Executive Director of Asia News Network and president of Thailand’s The Nation group, Pana Janviroj

Asia News Network, an alliance of 19 newspapers in 17 Asian countries, is pleased to once again be joining Viet Nam News, one of our members, to organise the second Viet Nam Economic Forum.

Our role along side Viet Nam News is to put together a programme and speakers that can best reflect the changing economic scene in the region as well as in Viet Nam which is undergoing unprecedented economic growth in recent years.

Asia News Network works with the member newspapers to organise regional activities and in the past year these have included a pan-Asia photo contest in co-operation with China Daily and an Asian Climate Change conference in Bangkok with The Nation. The members of the Asia News Network also jointly publish a weekly regional news magazine AsiaNews, which is available in selected Star Alliance airline members.

* Tran Mai Huong, VNA Executive Deputy General Director, Editor-in-chief of Viet Nam News, co-head of the Viet Nam Economic Forum II organising board.

The first Viet Nam Economic Forum, titled Regionalism and Modernisation of Viet Nam, was held last year in HCM City. The forum, highly appreciated by international participants, focused on Viet Nam’s achievements in its renewal and modernisation process as well as the country’s efforts in integrating into the regional and global economy.

The second Viet Nam Economic Forum, with the theme of "Sustaining the Growth", is a valuable opportunity for nearly 600 policymakers, researchers, domestic and international investors and business representatives to discuss ways to address problems facing Viet Nam’s economy in the context of the world’s financial market turmoil.

It is also a chance for the country to seek economic co-operation, expand markets and attract investment during its integration and development process.

The organisation of the forum proves the efficient co-operation between the Asian News Network and Viet Nam News newspaper.

* Phan Huu Thang, Director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment:

The second Viet Nam Economic Forum, organised today, reflects the effective co-operation among co-organisers in bringing participants important information about the social economic situation of Viet Nam. With the theme of "Sustaining the Growth", this forum will be the place to exchange comprehensive information about the financial market, human resource development and infrastructure, which are pillars to maintaining the high and sustainable growth of Viet Nam’s economy in the coming years.

This is a meaningful activity to create more opportunities for Viet Nam to introduce its stable investment environment and confirm the Party and State’s policies of opening and integrating into the world. It will also promote the country’s achievements in its doi moi (renewal) process and modernise the country as well as affirm Viet Nam’s role and its contributions in the region and the world. The forum will also be an activity to expand economic exchanges of Vietnamese enterprises in the integration process into the world’s economy, contributing to create new opportunities and pushing up co-operation and development in Asia and the world.

(Source: Viet Nam News)