At this year’s conference on the theme of Asia Confronting Challenges -Pursuit of New Frontiers, delegates will examine ways of overcoming the difficulties and challenges that Asia is facing in the context of the global financial crisis and discuss measures aimed at maintaining long-term economic growth in the region and speeding up economic development in developing countries including Vietnam.

In his speech, PM Dung touched upon the issues that Asia is confronting in the face of the widespread global economic downturn as a result of Asia’s dependence on major US and European markets.  The Asian economy is predicted to grow at 2.9 percent.

Mr Dung proposed the six solutions devised by the Vietnamese Government with a focus on consolidating confidence based on sustainable development, taking joint actions among regional countries to stem the financial crisis, enhancing Asia’s role in building a global trade framework and reforming the regional monetary and financial system. In addition, Asian nations need to further increase their creative capability, build an international environment of peace and stability in the region and fulfill its role as one of humankind’s great cradles of civilization.

Delegates welcomed PM Dung’s proposals for promoting development cooperation among countries in the Sub-Mekong Region and underdeveloped countries and narrowing the development gap within the continent including the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Development Triangle and the East-West Economic Corridor.

On the occasion, Mr Dung thanked the Japanese Government for its assistance of US$ 20 billion to help regional countries cope with the current financial crisis and its aid package of US$ 900 million in ODA for Vietnam in 2009.

Regarding Vietnam’s efforts to solve the crisis, Mr Dung said his country will do its best to cooperate closely with other regional countries to overcome the current difficulties in order to push up economic development as a contribution to the prosperity in the region.

Vietnam will continue to boost trade and investment cooperation with other countries in the region and the world.

As a full member of the WTO, Vietnam has established trade ties with 220 countries and territories around the world. Last year, Vietnam’s two-way trade turnover with other countries reached US$140 billion, presenting a year-on-year increase of 20 percent over the past 20 years. Some 80 countries and territories currently have more than 10,000 FDI projects in Vietnam with a total capitalisation of more than US$1.6 billion.

Since the beginning of 2008, the Government of Vietnam has implemented a series of measures to control inflation, stabilise the marco-economy, ensure social welfare and maintain an economic growth rate of 6.2 percent.

Entering 2009, to deal with the global crisis and reverse the economic turndown, the Government of Vietnam has introduced effective and flexible monetary mechanisms in order to stabilise the marco-economy and ensure banking security. The government has taken numerous measures to boost production and business operations, promote export, investment and consumption, expand the domestic market, ensure social welfare and reduce the poverty rate.

On the sidelines of the “The Future of Asia” Conference on May 21, PM Dung received the member of the House of Councillors of the National Diet of Japan, Nakamura Hirohiko.

During the reception, The Japanese guest said that his country has expanded information technology (IT) training activities at the Back Khoa (Polytechnic) University. He also expressed his wish to establish a medical training centre for nurses in Vietnam so that they can work in Japan.

Mr Nakamura said that in addition to two Japan-Vietnam cultural centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the two countries should boost cultural exchange and strengthen their cooperation in this field.

He also voiced his support for increasing the amount of the Japanese government’s official development assistance (OAD) for Vietnam, especially in the fields of education and training, infrastructure development and environmental protection.

PM Dung expressed his pleasure at the fine development of relations between the two countries in various fields, including politics, economics, trade and investment.

He spoke highly of Mr Nakamura’s goodwill in building the medical training centres for Vietnamese nurses, and affirmed that relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies will cooperate with Japanese partners to carry out the project soon.

The Vietnamese government leader also said that the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Vietnam and Japan has been approved. He called on the Japanese government to complete procedures so that the agreement will be implemented as soon as possible for the benefit of both sides.

PM Dung appreciated the due attention of Mr Nakamura to strengthen bilateral ties and foster the two countries’ cooperation in the fields of labour and health care.