Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered keynote remarks at the Lunch Dialogue with U.S. Industry, hosted by the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC), in Hanoi, Viet Nam. In his remarks, Dr. Kao underscored the importance of strengthening public–private partnerships in advancing key ASEAN digital transformation initiatives, including the forthcoming implementation of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). The event provided an opportunity for open and substantive engagement between senior ASEAN officials and U.S. companies, facilitating exchanges on shared digital priorities, including artificial intelligence, trusted data flows, cybersecurity and the growing threat of online scams, digital infrastructure development, and digital trade.

Download SG’s full remarks here.