ASEAN telecoms ministers’ meeting to take place this month

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung (center) granted the Ministerial Certificate of Merit to winning companies in previous AICTA (Photo: baomoi.com)

The meeting, the highest level event in telecommunications and IT within ASEAN, is expected to bring together ministers from the 10 ASEAN member countries, the ASEAN Secretary General, representatives from partner countries and others.

Themed “Looking towards a comprehensive, safe and sustainable ASEAN Community on the digital basis,” the meeting takes place as the official formation of the ASEAN Community nears.

The ministers are scheduled to adopt cooperation programmes and activities in order to enhance connectivity in information infrastructure, narrowing the digital gap and increasing IT applications in the bloc, as well as cooperation programmes with dialogue countries and international organisations.

They will also ratify the ASEAN ICT Master Plan 2020, which aims to facilitate cooperation programmes and activities in this field between 2016 and 2020.

The master plan puts forth priorities for collaboration and development, as well as a roadmap to realise the targets for the next five years based on forecasts for technological development trends, demands of regional businesses and citizens, and socio-economic impacts in the region and the world at large.

The meeting offers an opportunity for Vietnam to introduce its achievements and development potential in the ICT sector to partners in and outside the region, as well as its resolve to work with the ASEAN Community to spur ICT development.

It is also a venue for policymakers and managers to share information and experience in this realm, and for ICT businesses to seek out new partners.

Vietnam will take this occasion to promote its land and people while bringing its citizens closer to ASEAN Community, which will be established at the end of this year.

TELMIN was formed as a result of a decision to create stronger regional ties within the telecommunications fraternity in ASEAN.

It meets once a year, during which the ministers hold a dialogue among themselves and ASEAN dialogue partners, including China, Japan, the RoK and India.

The annual event also engages with telecommunications and IT industry players in ASEAN through the e-ASEAN Business Council, which is composed of representatives of the private sector from all ASEAN member countries./.

Source: VNA