President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to attend the World Economic Forum on the Association of Southeast Asian Nation in Vietnam next month, event organizers confirmed.
“We are honored to be welcoming this record delegation of regional government leaders,” WEF Asia Pacific head and WEF executive committee member Justin Wood said Sunday.
“The ASEAN region is currently one of the world’s bright spots for economic growth, and their presence shows the commitment they have to ensure this remains the case as the Fourth Industrial Revolution expands in economic scope and impact, and the geopolitical environment around them changes rapidly,” Wood added.
According to the WEF, the following Southeast Asian leaders who already confirmed their participation are:
• Cambodia Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen
• Indonesia President Joko Widodo
• Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith
• Malaysia Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad
• Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi
• Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien-Loong
• Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyá»…n Xuân Phúc.
However, the Palace has yet to confirm Duterte’s attendance at the meeting in Ha Noi, Vietnam from September 11-13.
The meeting, with the theme “ASEAN 4.0 Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” will address strategic issues of national and regional importance.
Per the WEF, the agenda includes using entrepreneurship to craft new approaches to regional and global governance, drive economic and business dynamism, and shape social inclusion.
“The program will feature innovative formats to generate insight, spark inspiration and drive impact. These formats include plenary and arena sessions, interactive workshops, televised sessions, issue briefings, hubs, a special program to showcase ASEAN’s most dynamic entrepreneurs, and art exhibits,” the forum said.
The meeting will also be attended by international institutions and partners, innovative business corporations, heads of states, technological companies, young global leaders, civil society organizations, social entrepreneurs, young scientists, cultural leaders, and media leaders.
Last year, Duterte attended the WEF in Cambodia where he emphasized his stand on the war against illegal drugs. He then encouraged other ASEAN-member states to also purge the drug trade happening in their countries.
