Hanoi (VNA) –Facebook should closely coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communicationsof Vietnam in its operation in the country, remove wrongful information thatnegatively affect the country’s national security, social order and safety aswell as the peaceful life of the Vietnamese people.

So said Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc while receiving Simon Milner, Vice President of Facebook incharge of the public policy in Asia – Pacific, in Hanoi on September 13 on thesidelines of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN (WEF ASEAN) 2018. At thereception, the Government leader also asked Facebook to regularly exchangeideas with Vietnamese authorities so as to contribute to Vietnam’s developmentand its continuous growth.

For Facebook to obtainhealthy development and make positive contributions to the life in Vietnam, thetwo sides should look for ways to coordinate in a more timely, effective and regularway, PM Phuc said. He also stressed that Facebook is a “close friend” ofVietnam with an increasing number of the users, and welcomed its viewpoint ofcontributing the building of a digital environment in Vietnam.

Milner, for his part,affirmed that Facebook stands ready to help Vietnam in relevant fields in thedigital era, and to share ideas with Vietnam on issues confronted by manycountries, especially web security. This, he said, is an important factor toensure business and production and help improve the business and investmentenvironment in Vietnam.

Speaking at the reception,Acting Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung affirmedthat Facebook’s prosperity, like that of other firms, goes along with Vietnam’sprosperity; and also like other firms operating in Vietnam, Facebook must abideby the country’s laws. The minister also asked Facebook to earmark part of itsrevenue to invest in research and development activities and open itsrepresentative office in Vietnam at an early date.

The three-day WEF ASEAN,themed “ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, wasstarted in Hanoi on September 11. This is the third time the WEF has chosenVietnam as the venue for a regional WEF.

The WEF was established in1971 as a non-profit foundation and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Theforum engages the foremost political, business, and other leaders of society soas to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.

The Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. –VNA