The “Meeting ASEAN in Da Nang 2025” highlights Viet Nam's proactive, creative, and efficient role as a member of ASEAN, contributing significantly to the ASEAN Community. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet made these remarks at the opening ceremony of the event on Wednesday afternoon.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet spoke at the opening ceremony of "Meeting ASEAN in Da Nang 2025" on Wednesday. Photo: PV

Appreciating the initiative of the municipal People's Committee in organising the event, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet affirmed that amid the complex developments in the world, this meeting was even more significant for seeking cooperation opportunities, and bringing ASEAN to Da Nang and vice versa.

Over the past time, ASEAN has always affirmed its position as a successful regional cooperation model in the world, as well as its central role in the regional structure.

With a population of nearly 700 million people and around US$ 4,000 billion in GDP, ASEAN is a potential market with positive growth momentum. It is currently the 5^th largest economy in the world and is forecast to rise to fourth place by 2030.

Thanks to free trade agreements, supply chain linkage initiatives, and innovation, ASEAN not only creates a favourable environment for businesses but also brings more job opportunities to improve people's lives.

Over the past three decades, Viet Nam has made strong changes with Da Nang as the driving force and focal point of the region and the whole country. Da Nang has been affirming its brand as a worth-living, civilized, dynamic, creative and friendly city.

The central coastal city has all the favorable conditions to develop into an important economic and trade connection centre between Viet Nam and ASEAN countries as well as partner countries. In particular, the city has a favorable geographical location with easy access and connection to major economic centres in the region, a deep-water seaport, an international airport, and a sea border area, a road border. Also, the city is the eastern gateway of the East-West Economic Corridor to the Pacific Ocean. The city’s investment and business environment is always open, transparent, and convenient for investors.

With a vision towards 2050, the Vietnamese Government aims to transform Da Nang into a large, ecological, smart, unique, sustainable, and internationally-standard urban area by implementing outstanding policies and mechanisms. In particular, Da Nang is the first locality in Viet Nam to be allowed to pilot the establishment of a free trade zone, and to become a regional-scale international financial centre.

the event was also an important opportunity for Da Nang to promote itself as an ideal destination for international investors, including ASEAN countries and partners.

Reporting by X.HAU, M.QUE, Q.CUONG - Translating by M.DUNG, V.DUNG