On the afternoon of November 26, in Ho Chi Minh City, a high-level policy dialogue between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of the World Economic Forum took place on the topic "Dual transformation from strategy to action - Shaping Vietnam in the era of rising up". This event is the focus and special highlight of the Autumn Economic Forum 2025 program.
In the dialogue program lasting more than 60 minutes, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh answered many questions on issues of strategic significance from moderator Stephan Mergenthaler, Managing Director of WEF.
Science and technology will make Vietnam a developed country.
The first question about lessons from the past to look forward to the future, the Prime Minister said that looking back at the past helps draw lessons and look forward to the future. In 2025, Vietnam will celebrate the 80th anniversary of National Day, the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South - Reunification of the country. During that time, the country experienced 40 years of war, about 30 years of embargo.
"You can imagine how difficult and challenging our situation is," the Prime Minister said. However, according to the head of the Government, Vietnam does not live in the past but chooses to put it aside, respect differences, exploit similarities, and look towards the future.
The Prime Minister said that the agricultural sector and rice civilization have helped Vietnam transform from a poor, backward, underdeveloped country devastated by war into a developing country, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty.
Next, industry has helped Vietnam become an upper middle-income country.
Currently, Vietnam identifies that science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation will help Vietnam become a developed, high-income country by 2045.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits booths with international delegates (Photo: Organizing Committee).
In the second question, the moderator asked the Prime Minister - who has just returned from the G20 Summit in South Africa - to further analyze the factors that help increase Vietnam's resilience in a very volatile world.
According to the Prime Minister, the main theme of this G20 Summit is solidarity, equality, and stability, which accurately reflects the needs of the world today. The Summit also pointed out the great challenges of the world today, which are political polarization, economic separation, institutional fragmentation, and development differentiation. World economic growth has slowed down after the Covid-19 pandemic, global government debt has increased; world trade has declined, etc.
“We must accept these risks to see the opportunities and advantages,” said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister pointed out that in the difficult context, world economic growth slowed down, but Vietnam's economic growth increased; world public debt increased but Vietnam's public debt ratio decreased; the scale of the economy and GDP per capita increased...
The Prime Minister said that Vietnam overcame challenges thanks to the leadership of the Party, the strength of solidarity from the people, combined with the strength of the times and the correct foreign policy.
Digital and green transformation is a top priority, a double cycle
In the third question, the coordinator asked the Prime Minister to share about the role of dual transformation (digital transformation, green transformation) for Vietnam.
With this question, the Prime Minister reaffirmed that green transformation and digital transformation are objective, strategic requirements, and top priorities in the process of rapid and sustainable development. "These are two parallel sides of a process, closely related to each other, it can be said to be a double cycle," the Prime Minister said.
First of all, Vietnam must raise awareness of the position, role, and importance of dual transformation; from there, turn it into actions, specific, feasible, and effective solutions, including 5 groups: Developing green infrastructure, digital infrastructure; building correct, sufficient, and clean databases; training human resources to meet transformation needs; applying smart governance.
At the same time, there must be mechanisms and policies to mobilize resources and promote public-private cooperation. The Prime Minister said that Vietnam is resolutely implementing three strategic breakthroughs in institutions, infrastructure, and human resources.
The State must create, the youth must be pioneers in startups
The Prime Minister stated: The State must create, and young people must be pioneers in startups (Photo: BTC).
The WEF CEO then continued to raise questions that delved into Vietnam's dual transformation solutions, how to mobilize resources from businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, entrepreneurial spirit as well as promote the youth force, young workers...
The Prime Minister emphasized that in the development process, it is necessary to mobilize all resources in society. With small and medium enterprises currently accounting for 95-97% of the total number of enterprises, the Prime Minister assessed that this force contributes greatly to GDP and solves many jobs. Understanding that this group needs open institutions, smooth infrastructure... Resolution 68 on the private economy to increase support has been issued.
Regarding innovative startups, the Prime Minister said that Vietnam has many programs, movements, activities, and policies to encourage this among students and support startup activities. Vietnamese people in general and students in particular are passionate about new things and want to contribute to the country.
"From the root of patriotism, we encourage, support, and train to turn innovative startups into a movement and trend, and hope that WEF will contribute to this, especially in emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, quantum, semiconductor chips, etc. The State must create, and young people must be pioneers in startups," said the Prime Minister.
Finally, when the moderator asked the Prime Minister to share the role of ASEAN in the global economy as well as the role of Vietnam in promoting the spirit of dialogue at the international level?
The Prime Minister stated that Vietnam's development is inseparable from the development of the region; Southeast Asia is a dynamic region and the center of growth over the past decades.
Prime Minister proposes WEF make Autumn Economic Forum an annual event
Representatives of Ho Chi Minh City and the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) within the framework of the Autumn Economic Forum 2025 (Photo: Organizing Committee).
Regarding Vietnam's role, the Prime Minister said that Vietnam persistently pursues an independent and self-reliant foreign policy for peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralization and diversification, and is a good friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community.
According to the head of the Government, for dialogue to be successful, it is necessary to activate common values, along with the spirit of fairness and mutual respect, and to adhere to the principle that all conflicts must be resolved by peaceful means through dialogue.
"We are ready to work with WEF and partners to promote dialogue in conflict areas, places where there is still suspicion and lack of trust to bring peace, cooperation and development to all countries, leaving no people behind," said the Prime Minister.
The Autumn Economic Forum is directed by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, chaired by the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (HCMC C4IR), in coordination with agencies, ministries and WEF. The forum was developed from the annual Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum of the locality, following the model of accompanying WEF.
At the meeting with WEF CEO Stephan Mergenthaler on the afternoon of November 26, the Prime Minister also asked WEF to study and consider Vietnam's proposal to make the Autumn Economic Forum an annual event of WEF.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/thu-tuong-doi-thoai-voi-giam-doc-wef-60-phut-ban-chien-luoc-cho-viet-nam-20251127075324461.htm
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