On the eve of the first World Information Technology Forum (WIFOR 2009) ever hosted by Vietnam, DPM Nhan received the first Council ICT business mission to Hanoi in the Office of the Government building. The DPM expressed his appreciation to the Council and its member companies for their support and commitment to the country's ICT development. He stated that he saw great opportunities for both the Vietnamese workforce and American companies in the ICT sector. "We wish to support U.S. investment in Vietnam," the top government official in charge of Vietnam's ICT told representatives of Oracle, IBM and Microsoft.

DPM Nhan also invited Council companies to help with training the country's ICT workforce which he said should number more than one million skilled workers by 2020. A specific immediate step that could be taken towards that goal would be upgrading the training curriculum in universities, he said. Another important area where Vietnam needs assistance is "recommendations and advice to complete the legal framework for ICT" in the country, added the DPM.

The Council ICT business mission, which was led by Natasak Rodjanapiches, Oracle's Regional Managing Director for ASEAN, also had meetings with top officials in charge of ICT in the Ministry of Finance, State Bank of Vietnam, Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, and Ministry of Industry and Trade. These agencies include both existing and prospective important clients of Council ICT companies. They all expressed confidence in the capacities of leading US ICT companies to provide and help implement innovative solutions to existing and emerging challenges in Vietnam. Council companies reiterated their commitment to accompanying Vietnam on its road to success.

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The US-ASEAN Business Council and affiliates are dedicated to strengthening bilateral and US ASEAN relations and building strong economic and commercial ties. Members of the Council include Fortune 1000 companies in support of promoting trade, investment, and technology cooperation, advancing US ASEAN relations through strong participation in public-private partnerships, and committing to development and corporate social responsibility. The Council's members are represented in diverse industries, including aerospace, agribusiness, automobiles, computers and information technology, consumer goods, energy exploration and development, express delivery services, financial services, health care and pharmaceuticals, media & entertainment, mining, software, and telecommunications.

For information on the US-ASEAN Business Council or general information visit www.us-asean.org.