“Communication: From Information to Knowledge for a Resilient and Adaptive ASEAN” is the theme of the 16th ASEAN Ministers on Information Meeting which opened on the morning of September 22 in Da Nang City. At the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Van Quang, Secretary of the Da Nang City Party Committee, delivered a welcome speech to the Conference. Vietnam.vn respectfully introduces the full text of the speech by the Secretary of the Da Nang City Party Committee.

SPEECH OF THE STANDING MEMBER OF THE CITY PARTY COMMITTEE

Opening Ceremony of the 16th ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) Meeting

( Da Nang, September 22, 2023 )

-----

Dear Comrade Vo Thi Anh Xuan, Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,

Dear Mr. Ekaphap Phanthavong, Deputy Secretary-General in charge of ASEAN Social and Cultural Pillar,

Dear Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Heads of Delegations in charge of information, communications, culture and society from ASEAN countries, China, Japan, Korea,

Dear delegates attending the conference!

First of all, on behalf of the leaders of Da Nang city, I would like to express my honor that Da Nang was chosen as the first locality in Vietnam to host the 16th ASEAN Ministers of Information Meeting. I would like to extend my warmest and most respectful welcome to the Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Ministers, Heads of Delegations, and Information Officers of ASEAN member countries, Timor Leste and dialogue partners China, Japan and Korea, the Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN and all the distinguished delegates who have taken the time to attend the 16th ASEAN Ministers of Information Meeting today .

Dear delegates!

Da Nang has been and is the chosen location to organize many major domestic and international events, important in terms of politics, culture, society, typically the APEC event in 2017, the International Fireworks Festival... Therefore, we believe that with the thoughtful and professional organization of the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam and the active participation of international delegations, the 16th ASEAN Ministers of Information Meeting will be a great success, contributing even more to the process of cooperation and integration of ASEAN. And through the Conference, Da Nang city wishes to spread the image of a beautiful, friendly, safe, dynamic and vibrant city.

Dear delegates!

Identifying the particularly important role and mission of information, communication and press in today's era, Vietnam and Da Nang city always focus on investment and development in this field. Da Nang is one of the three press centers of Vietnam; major news agencies, television and newspapers all have representative offices in Da Nang city and have made many positive contributions to the development of the Central and Central Highlands regions in general and the city in particular. The active operation of press agencies in the area not only conveys news, contributes to political stability, socio-economic development, but also helps to improve people's knowledge, meeting the healthy cultural needs of the people. The press contributes to preserving and promoting traditional values, while opening up the world of information about the global political situation, new development trends, the movement and strong changes of science and technology...; thereby, providing a multi-dimensional perspective, opening up opportunities to change life, especially when we have just gone through a difficult period after the Covid-19 pandemic, or the negative impacts of climate change, political conflicts in some places in the world...

Dear ladies and gentlemen!

One of the solutions to improve the effectiveness of communication work is to promote digital transformation; this is a revolutionary transformation, an inevitable trend of the times. Recognizing that importance, one of the 5 priority areas for development of Da Nang city now and in the coming time is: Developing information technology, electronics, and telecommunications industry associated with the digital economy, in which, special attention is paid to the establishment and development of digital technology enterprises. In 2022, the digital economy accounts for 19.7% of the city's GRDP (the target by 2030 is 30% of GRDP); Da Nang was awarded the Smart City Award in 2019 by the Asian and Oceanian Computing Organization; Vietnam's (only) Smart City Award in 2022; is the locality ranked No. 1 in Vietnam Digital Transformation at the provincial level for 3 consecutive years (2020, 2021 and 2022).

Dear Conference!

Once again, on behalf of the leaders of Da Nang city, I would like to sincerely thank you, the delegates, for coming to the city. I wish our Conference many good results. I wish you many beautiful memories during your time working in Da Nang and I hope you will take the time to visit and learn about the natural landscape, potential strengths and culture - society of the city, to understand more about the land and people of Da Nang, to feel one of the most livable cities, the most worth-visiting cities in Vietnam.

Thank you very much !

vietnam.vn