Nguyen Hai Nam, a member of the organizing committee for the second such international conference scheduled for March 17-18, told the Daily on Tuesday that the event would be a direct dialog between the Government and business executives from 30 countries.

There will be representatives of some 100 Vietnamese companies taking part in the forthcoming event at the Melia Hotel in central Hanoi, he said.

The conference, which is being organized by the Foreign Ministry’s The Gioi & Vietnam (world & Vietnam) magazine and The Economist’s Economist Conferences, will look into measures for pulling the economy out of the current woes.

Nam said the organizers would hold a roundtable seminar with four sessions dealing with about 20 topics, especially on macro-economic policy improvement, economic prospects, and business environment in Vietnam.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, he said, would come to the conference and deliver remarks. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan, the ministers of industry-trade, finance, transport and the central bank governor are also expected to participate.

Vu Son Thuy, editor-in-chief of The Gioi & Vietnam and standing vice chairman of the organizing committee, said the upcoming conference would contribute to building trust and instill confidence in international investors interested in doing business in the country.

"Importantly, it will create an annual forum and can be seen as an international think-tank that can lend a helping hand to Vietnam’s economic development," he said.

On the sidelines of the event will be an exhibition of 58 leading Vietnamese brands. The 58 Vietnam Elite Brands expo is aimed at encouraging the local corporate sector to develop brands in line with international standards.

This brand show is endorsed by the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation, and the ministries of foreign affairs, industry-trade, culture-sports-tourism, and science-technology, and the European Chamber of Commerce.

The first conference, went with the theme "Vietnam-A Rising Star".

With the current global economic slowdown continuing to bite and foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam falling sharply in January, the forth coming conference will provide an opportunity to boost investor confidence in the local business and investment climate through renewed commitments to reform, according to the organizers.