In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Finance Do Hoang Anh Tuan said the meeting offers an opportunity for the delegates to seek new ways to revamp customs management and meet the requirements of the 4th Industrial Revolution while stepping up cooperation in human resource development and the sustainable development of the sector. Nguyen Van Can, head of the GDVC, said hosting the meeting demonstrates the GDVC’s efforts in  ASEM customs cooperation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and addressing challenges facing the world like trade fraud, terrorism and smuggling, among others.

The event, the first of its kind hosted by the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC), brought together 53 delegations from customs agencies of member countries of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Secretary General of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), the European Union (EU) and embassies of ASEM member countries in Vietnam.