Hidetoshi Nishimura, President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, spoke at the seminar (Photo: VOV)

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, head of the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) ASEAN Vietnam, said Vietnam and other ASEAN countries who are now a growth center of the global economy are sharing great advantages as the ASEAN Economic Community is established. Promoting the ASEAN Economic Community  is the shared task of the governments and business communities of members: “The Vietnamese government is committed to continuing economic renovation and reform. The government creates an environment for enterprises to grow and develop, creates a framework and favorable environment for enterprises to integrate, and helps them resolve difficulties. But enterprises can only make full use of the advantages brought about by the AEC when they become real players in the market, demonstrate  capability, are more active, and play a greater role in the development of ASEAN and the AEC”.

Hidetoshi Nishimura, President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, said the formation of the AEC is a significant milestone in ASEAN’s economic integration, forming a market worth more than 2.6 trillion USD with a population of 620 million. He added Vietnam will see great opportunities from integrating into ASEAN in the new context, but Vietnamese enterprises should be more active to seize those opportunities: “Vietnam is a rising star of ASEAN economy. Many manufacturers like Canon, Samsung, Toyota, are relocating to Vietnam. ASEAN provides market opportunities to businesses not only manufacturers but also private industries of Vietnam, tourism, real estate, construction and others are expanding. How to make better use of ASEAN. It is made possible”.

An exhibit called ASEAN: 50 years of integration and development was staged on the sideline of the event.