Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, (NNN-BERNAMA) : Malaysia’s International Trade and Industry Minister, Mustapa Mohamed, will lead the Malaysian delegation to the three-day World Economic Forum (WEF) on ASEAN 2017, in Phnom Penh, starting today.

More than 630 participants, including 30 heads of state/government, government representatives and 500 global corporate leaders are expected to attend the forum.

Mustapa has been invited by WEF, to lead the discussion on E-commerce facilitation, during the “Towards a Regional Digital Single Market” session today, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry said.

Mustapa is also scheduled to meet his Cambodian counterpart, Pan Sorasak and Minister Attached to the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Othsman Hassan.

Other sideline meetings include a meeting with the Malaysian community, including business professionals in Cambodia.

Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister, Chua Tee Yong, will participate in the WEF Opening Plenary: “50 Years Young,” Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL): ASEAN at 50, ASEAN Regional Strategy Group Meeting and Cultural Soiree, hosted by the Cambodian government.

WEF is an independent international organisation for public-private cooperation, established four decades ago, with a mission to improve economic condition of the world.

Besides its annual meeting in Davos, held in Jan, each year, WEF is also organising meetings at the regional level.

Malaysia hosted the WEF on ASEAN 2016, and for this year, Cambodia has been selected as the host country.

The WEF on ASEAN 2017 coincides with the 50th anniversary of ASEAN, a region with a population of 630 million people, of which more than half are under the age of 30.

In this regard, the forum offers an ideal platform for greater collaboration between industry, government and civil society, in shaping the future for the region’s young, and tapping the full potential of ASEAN.

The theme for this year’s event is “Youth, Technology and Growth: Securing ASEAN’s Digital and Demographic Dividends” in which the participants will undertake discourse on three main pillars which are: ASEAN in the new Global Context, ASEAN and the Connectivity Agenda, and ASEAN and the Youth Agenda.