On the afternoon of November 19, in Quang Ninh, the Ministry of Information and Communications organized the 21st ASEAN Information Officers Meeting (SOMRI). This is an activity within the Vietnam International Digital Week (VIDW 2024) taking place in Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province.

This year’s SOMRI marks a significant milestone for the ASEAN information sector. Building on the achievements of the 16th ASEAN Ministers on Information (AMRI-16), the 21st ASEAN Information Officials Meeting provides an essential platform to realise the vision of the ASEAN Information Ministers and to design a forward-looking roadmap for the development of the sector in the next decade (2025–2035).

The conference also played an important role in the review and preparation of the ASEAN Communications Master Plan III (2026–2035).

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At the beginning of the conference, delegates performed the flag-raising ceremony to honor common values ​​and commit to promoting the spirit of solidarity, friendship and cooperation of ASEAN under the common roof of the ASEAN Community. Photo: Trong Dat

Speaking at the opening of the Conference, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam happily welcomed delegates from many countries in the Southeast Asian region to attend the event organized by the host country Vietnam.

According to Deputy Minister Phan Tam, the presence of ASEAN information officials at the Conference contributes to affirming ASEAN's steadfast commitment to promoting regional cooperation, taking advantage of the transformative power of information and media to promote comprehensive development.

In an era defined by rapid technological innovation and massive information flows, the world is witnessing profound changes in the way societies communicate, connect and progress. These changes underscore the important role of senior officials in shaping ASEAN’s information landscape to promote resilience, inclusiveness and shared prosperity.

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Deputy Minister Phan Tam shared with officials attending the 21st ASEAN Information Officials Meeting. Photo: Trong Dat

“ By aligning our efforts with ASEAN’s overarching goals and global priorities, we can ensure our communications strategies remain cohesive, responsive and impactful ,” said Deputy Minister Phan Tam.

At the Conference, ASEAN information officials shared and discussed creative ideas and strategic insights, thereby promoting a spirit of cooperation for the common benefit of countries.

According to Deputy Minister Phan Tam, this is an important premise to be able to build feasible proposals, not only to solve current challenges but also to position ASEAN as a leading region in digital communications and innovation.

Organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications in coordination with the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province from November 19 to 22, Vietnam International Digital Week - VIDW 2024 includes 12 official events and side events, attracting more than 600 delegates who are leaders of state management agencies from nearly 30 countries, representatives of international organizations and leading technology enterprises.

Delegates attending VIDW 2024 will focus on discussing and sharing good practices, new approaches and initiatives to expand cooperation between countries, organizations and businesses on promoting AI development and virtual assistant deployment, with priority topics such as virtual assistant applications, artificial intelligence governance, Open RAN, legal framework for 5G, digital infrastructure development and digital human resources, etc.

Cooperation is the best way to develop AI applications and virtual assistants . Commenting that artificial intelligence is new to everyone, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung pointed out that cooperation is the best way to apply AI, develop and use virtual assistants.