Opening Ceremony of the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting

On the morning of January 15th, the opening ceremony of the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting (ADGMIN) was solemnly held in Hanoi.

The 6th ADGMIN Conference, hosted by Vietnam, brought together Ministers in charge of information technology, telecommunications and digital transformation from ASEAN member countries, the ASEAN Secretary-General, representatives of dialogue partners, international organizations, and a large number of delegates from within and outside the region.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends the opening ceremony of the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting (ADGMIN). Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, demonstrating Vietnam's strong interest and political commitment to ASEAN regional digital cooperation.

In his opening remarks at the Conference, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Science and Technology of Vietnam, in his capacity as Chairman of the 6th ADGMIN Conference, emphasized the significance of this year's Conference theme, "ASEAN Adapting: From Infrastructure Connectivity to Intellectual Connectivity," reflecting a crucial shift in ASEAN's digital cooperation thinking. This shift is from expanding technical connectivity to leveraging intelligence, data, and the added value generated from those connections, in order to serve socio-economic development, improve the quality of life for citizens, and enhance the governance capacity of governments.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung stated: "In the law of development, stability is always the prerequisite for development, but innovation is the driving force of development. Development inevitably gives rise to new problems, and these new problems require new thinking, approaches, and solutions to address them and continue to create new development. This is especially evident in the current digital era and demands a high level of adaptability from all of us. Therefore, shifting from connectivity infrastructure to intelligence infrastructure is not just an option but a necessity of the digital age, requiring ASEAN to have a new, leading, integrated, and inclusive digital master plan to move beyond isolated digital development approaches towards a unified ASEAN digital space and a unified ASEAN AI network."

Speaking at the opening ceremony, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn affirmed ASEAN's commitment to promoting comprehensive digital cooperation, bridging the digital divide among member states, and building a safe, reliable, and inclusive digital space. The ASEAN Secretary-General emphasized the role of the ADGMIN mechanism in concretizing ASEAN's strategic directions on digital transformation through substantive programs, initiatives, and cooperation.

Mr. Amandeep Singh Gill, Deputy Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Technology of the UN Secretary-General, and guest of host country Vietnam, shared insights on global trends in digital transformation and artificial intelligence, and offered some recommendations for ASEAN to continue pursuing a balanced, people-centered approach, ensuring that digital technology makes a practical contribution to sustainable development.

In his welcoming speech, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that digital transformation is becoming a crucial driving force for promoting growth, enhancing resilience, and improving the adaptability of nations. As the host country, Vietnam is committed to creating favorable conditions for ASEAN countries and partners to engage in open exchanges, strengthen coordination, and jointly build a safe, inclusive, and sustainably developing digital ASEAN Community.

As the host of the 6th ADGMIN Conference, Vietnam once again affirmed its readiness to work alongside ASEAN countries in promoting policy dialogue, sharing experiences, and implementing practical digital cooperation initiatives, contributing to the realization of ASEAN's common goals in the coming period.

The ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting (ADGMIN) is a key ministerial-level cooperation mechanism within ASEAN in the digital sector, aimed at reviewing the progress of implementing regional digital cooperation frameworks and initiatives, and exchanging views on future cooperation directions. The 6th ADGMIN meeting focused on key issues such as digital transformation, the digital economy, connectivity of digital infrastructure and platforms, data governance, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and strengthening cooperation with Dialogue Partners and international organizations.

Within the framework of the 6th ASEAN Digital Officials Meeting (ADGMIN), Vietnam is organizing a series of conferences and related activities on ASEAN digital cooperation from January 12 to 16, 2026 in Hanoi. The series of events includes the 6th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Digital (ADGSOM), sessions of specialized working groups, and meetings with dialogue partners.

The 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting, along with several side events, aimed to enhance exchange, connectivity, and cooperation among member states and partners. The meetings focused on reviewing the progress of ASEAN's digital cooperation frameworks, discussing priorities and future cooperation directions, thereby contributing to promoting a safe, reliable, inclusive, and adaptable ASEAN digital space that can withstand the rapid changes in digital technology.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/khai-mac-hoi-nghi-bo-truong-so-asean-lan-thu-6-20260115104708994.htm