Indo-Pacific Business Forum

Colleagues, you are invited to join the upcoming 2021 Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF), which will take place October 28-29. This year is a virtual event, hosted this year by the United States and India. Vietnam hosted in 2020 and Thailand in 2019. Recognizing current global challenges, key themes will be economic recovery and resilience, climate action, and digital innovation. This year’s agenda can be found here: https://indopacificbusinessforum.com/agenda/.

In addition to remarks from our senior Department leaders, including Secretary of State Blinken, Washington colleagues are working to arrange participation by Commerce Secretary Raimondo, Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, Labor Secretary Walsh, USTR Ambassador Tai, and USTDA Acting Director Ebong, along with senior representatives from the DFC, NSC, and participating members of Congress. Under Secretary of State for Energy, Economic Growth, and the Environment Jose Fernandez will engage in a roundtable with CEOs and deliver closing remarks. Some of you may see colleagues as speakers.

From U.S. Mission Vietnam, CDA Damour will be speaking with other U.S. Chiefs of Mission on October 29 at “Promoting Sustainable Investments along the Mighty Mekong,” where she will highlight efforts by the USG and the U.S. private sector to promote sustainable development in Vietnam. The U.S. Mission will also be highlighting the Consulate’s battery energy storage pilot project with AMI AC Renewables in Khanh Hoa, which we formally announced last week (https://vn.usembassy.gov/u-s-consulate-general-awards-grant-to-ami-ac-renewables-to-construct-energy-storage-pilot-project-using-cutting-edge-american-technology/). Finally, to build momentum for this year’s virtual IPBF here in Vietnam, ECON’s own Nhu Vu will be conducting an interview with local electric motorbike startup Dat Bike in Vietnamese on Facebook Live in the leadup to the event on the U.S. Mission’s Facebook page.

Last year’s event saw over 2,600 virtual attendees from across the Indo-Pacific, and the U.S. Government hopes this year the Forum will attract even more. Please register now! You can then pick and choose what events you wish to join; the website has all the details along with the promotional video. Registration is free and only takes a few minutes. The U.S. Mission requested we share this invitation widely with interested colleagues. We hope you find the discussions informative!