HCM City (VNA) –  TheASEAN+3 Young Entrepreneurs Forum opened in Ho Chi Minh City on December 13,with its agenda focusing on the role of young businesses in high-tech agriculturestartup and innovation.

The four-day event is organised by the National Committee on Youth of Vietnamin collaboration with the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist YouthUnion, drawing the participation of the 160 young businesses and leaders from 10ASEAN countries and three dialogue nations of the Republic of Korea, Japan andChina.

Themed “Towards Innovative Hi-tech Agricultural Startups”, the forum will serveas a venue for young entrepreneurs to share hi-tech agricultural startup models,contributing to realising ASEAN Economic Community’s goals and building asustainable community.

Inhis opening remarks, Secretary ofthe Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee Nguyen Ngoc Luongunderlined the sound cooperation between ASEAN member states and its dialoguepartners.

As innovation in hi-tech agriculture is a global trend, youngentrepreneurs should bolster cooperation for the development of the ASEAN+3,he said.

Meanwhile, Tan Sije Darren, a representative from Singapore, said that ASEANcountries are facing formidable challenges like broadening population, climatechange and rapid urbanisation which have affected a wide range of sectors,including agriculture.

Startup and innovation in hi-tech agriculture are deemed as effective solutionsto the matter, he said, adding that collaboration in the field will helpstabilise and develop high-quality food in each country.

Experience in startup as well as challenges and opportunities in hi-techagricultural startup are on the table at the forum. Participants are also scheduledto make fact-finding tours and visit some tourist attractions in Ho Chi MinhCity and Dong Thap province.

Since 1997, the ASEAN+3 cooperation mechanism has functioned asa coordinator of cooperation between the ASEAN and the three East Asian nationsof China, Japan, and South Korea.

The forum is part of the Vietnam’s ASEAN+3 youthcooperation mechanism to concretise the Hanoi initiative on developing ASEANyoung human resources. There, young entrepreneurs meet, exchange and enhancetrust to branch out business models towards sustainable development whileraising the youth’s awareness of the ASEAN Community, and Vietnam’ssocio-economic achievements.-VNA