Reinforcing Viet Nam’s role and position
As Viet Nam will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum for the third time in 2027, communication efforts have now been identified as one of the key priorities contributing to the overall success of the APEC Year.
Against this backdrop, on June 18 in Hanoi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the APEC International Secretariat, launched the workshop “Enhancing Communication Capacity in Preparation for APEC Viet Nam 2027”.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, Head of the Communications and Culture Subcommittee of the National Committee for APEC-2027, noted that since Viet Nam last hosted APEC in 2017, the world has undergone profound changes marked by uncertainty and rapid transformation. Nevertheless, APEC has maintained its role as the leading economic forum in the Asia-Pacific, promoting growth, innovation, productivity, and prosperity.
Hosting APEC-2027, therefore, represents both a significant responsibility and a unique opportunity for Viet Nam. It will be one of the country’s most important diplomatic events in the upcoming period and an ideal occasion for Viet Nam to further affirm its role, standing and contributions to regional cooperation.
Echoing Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang’s remarks, Fernando Salas, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the APEC Secretariat, emphasized that hosting APEC provides an opportunity for the host economy to tell its story to the region and the world.
An effective communications strategy, he said, can connect priorities, initiatives, and development visions into a coherent narrative, creating a lasting legacy not only for the host year but also for APEC’s future cooperation agenda.
The APEC Secretariat representative stressed that communications should not be viewed as an activity that takes place after policies have been adopted. Instead, it should be integrated into the policymaking and implementation process. In this regard, communications serves as a bridge between policymakers, businesses, citizens, and stakeholders, helping enhance transparency, build consensus, and amplify the tangible benefits of APEC cooperation.
Expressing confidence in Viet Nam’s preparations, Fernando Salas affirmed that the APEC Secretariat would continue supporting Viet Nam through the sharing of experiences and expertise in areas ranging from media relations and communications strategy development to digital communications. He expressed confidence that APEC Viet Nam 2027 would build upon the successes of APEC 2006 and 2017 while leaving a positive impact on the region and the international community.
Telling three major stories
Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang emphasized that communications will play a particularly important role in conveying three major stories: the story of APEC, the story of Viet Nam, and the story of cooperation, partnership, and friendship across the Asia-Pacific region.
The first story is about APEC itself - a forum that has contributed to promoting growth, resilience, and prosperity throughout the region. According to Deputy Minister Hang, one of the key objectives of communications efforts is to help people better understand what APEC is and how it benefits businesses, local communities, and citizens’ daily lives. The values of regional economic cooperation need to be communicated in a language that is more accessible, relatable, and easy to understand.
This message also reflects the growing emphasis on people-centered approaches in regional cooperation mechanisms, rather than limiting engagement to high-level meetings and policy agreements.
The second story that APEC Viet Nam 2027 seeks to tell is the story of a Viet Nam entering a new stage of development. While APEC 2006 and APEC 2017 helped introduce to the world an image of Viet Nam as an open, dynamic and globally integrated economy, APEC 2027 presents an opportunity to tell the next chapter of the country’s development journey.
This is the story of a Viet Nam pursuing high-quality growth driven by innovation, digital transformation, green transition, productivity enhancement, and sustainable development. It is also an opportunity to further showcase the country’s culture, people, national identity, and aspirations for development in a new era.
Far from being just a national image-building campaign, this is also an opportunity to elevate Viet Nam’s brand in the eyes of the international community, thereby attracting investment, tourism, trade, and resources needed to support future development.
The third story is about cooperation, partnership and friendship - the values that have formed the foundation of APEC for more than three decades.
At a time when the world is facing numerous challenges ranging from strategic competition and economic volatility to non-traditional security threats, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang stressed the importance of continuing to promote dialogue, trust-building, and mutually beneficial cooperation. These are also the core values that have enabled APEC to maintain its role as a forum for advancing regional economic integration and seeking collective solutions to cross-border challenges.
Communications for APEC-2027 should therefore help tell the story of connectivity, cooperation, and the shared aspiration for development among member economies, highlighting the significance of multilateralism and international cooperation in today’s context.
To fulfill this mission, Viet Nam is pursuing a communications approach that is strategic, professional, innovative and inclusive, the one that reaches not only policymakers and experts but also businesses, local communities, and the broader public, both domestically and internationally.
The communications capacity-building workshop is being held over two days, from June 18 to 19, with the participation of experts from the APEC Secretariat and economies that have previously hosted APEC. Discussions focus on communications strategy development, digital media management, APEC branding, media coordination, and the operation of an International Media Center, helping Viet Nam better prepare for the APEC Viet Nam 2027 Year.
