Justin Wood, Head of Asia-Pacific, Member of the WEF Executive Committee told reporters on September 6
“Vietnam has worked closely with the WEF to make sure the best preparation for the upcoming WEF ASEAN 2018,” Justin Wood, Head of Asia-Pacific, Member of the WEF Executive Committee told a press conference on September 6 in Hanoi. “The thorough and active preparation is reflected in the strong representation of delegates, particularly regional governments and State leaders,” he said.The forum is expected to welcome the presence of leaders of governments and businesses from ASEAN members.Among the delegates are the prime ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka, the presidents of Indonesia and the Philippines, and Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi.The event will also see attendance of leaders of international organisations, and senior officials and entrepreneurs from non-ASEAN countries such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and India. Their presence at the event shows the commitment to make ASEAN one of the world’s bright spots for economic growth as the Fourth Industrial Revolution expands in economic scope and impact, and the geopolitical environment around them changes rapidly, Wood said.

During the event, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, head of the event's organising board said the forum's theme "ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution" has shown the common interest of the ASEAN as well as the world, since it is relevant to the ASEAN's theme for 2018, a resilient and innovative ASEAN.“The WEF on ASEAN 2018 is one of the biggest diplomatic events in 2018,” Son said.It provides platform for government and business leaders to discuss and share policy ideas and initiatives for the region’s key issues, especially in the face of the 4th industrial revolution.According to Son, around 1,000 delegates from 43 countries and regions have registered to attend the WEF on ASEAN, focusing their discussions on five key topics, namely defining new ASEAN vision on regional integration; seeking new business models and business governance in digital age; seeking new driving forces and business models for ASEAN states in industry 4.0; enterprises and new approaches to global and regional leadership; and smart infrastructure development, capacity training, startups, innovations in industry 4.0.In 2010, Vietnam hosted the World Economic Forum on East Asia for the first time and over the past eight years, Vietnam has obtained remarkable economic achievements, including the GDP per capita rising from US$1,160 in 2010 to US$2,385 in 2017.The WEF was established in 1971 as a non-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva. The forum engages political, business, and other leaders to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups together Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.