The Ho Chi Minh City authorities on June 5 hosted a banquet for participants of the 2010 World Economic Forum on East Asia where they called on the regional leaders to help deliver the message of peace, friendship and cooperation from Vietnam to the world.

Under the theme of the rising role of Asia in global development, the forum will take place from June 6-7 in the city, gathering around 450 participants, mostly government leaders, representatives of international organisations, world business executives, scholars, international experts and the media.

“The forum will help create a panorama of the region’s economic prospects and provide a scientific basis for socio-economic policy making in the future,” said Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Chairman Le Hoang Quan.

The event includes 20 working sessions, including five plenary meetings and over 10 bilateral discussions and several other talks. There will be ten sidelines events and activities taking place before and during the forum.

Joining the city authorities to welcome Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Lao PM Bouasone Bouphavanh and Myanmar’s PM Thein Sein were government leaders, including Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem and Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai./.