As the first leader to give a speech at the closing session of the AEBF 11, the PM praised the AEBF’s role in enhancing Asia-Europe business partnerships. He also stressed the role of businesses, espcially small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the growth of Asian and European economies.
In his speech, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called the participation among leaders to support SMEs in the intergration into global value chains progress and figure out solutions to poverty due to unfair trade competition, development gaps, climate change, natural disaster, and saltwater intrusion.
He also asked for continued support for partnerships and free trade agreements (FTAs) among countries in Asia and Europe such as the ASEAN Community, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and EU – ASEAN and India – ASEAN cooperation.
The PM said that the ASEM member nations are very important partners of Vietnam during its reforms, development and international integration. Nineteen out of 25 strategic and comprehensive partners of Vietnam are ASEM members, who account for 70% of foreign investment in and foreign trade with Viet Nam. About 80% of international tourists to the country are from ASEM nations.
At the forum, other speakers appreciated ASEM leaders’ attention to creating an optimal business environment for Asian-European companies’ operations. They underscored the demand for enterprises’ increased role in and contribution to bolstering the two continents; and in connectivity amid the unsteady economic recovery that has latent risks around the world.
The ASEM leaders told entrepreneurs to join hands with their Governments in boosting trade and investment, connecting the two continents’ infrastructure, and applying environmentally friendly production technologies to help with sustainable and inclusive growth.
The AEBF has played the sole channel of discussion among Asian and European leaders and the business communities in the two continents since the discontinuity of the ASEM Economic Ministers' Meeting in 2005. The forum was among the events in the run up to the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, slated for July 15 - 16.Under the theme “Connectivity for Inclusive Growth”, the forum attracted about 600 representatives of leading businesses from the two continents.
