HANOI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The 18th Global Summit of Women will help promote trade and investment opportunities among countries in the region and the world, and assist the comprehensive development not only for women but also for all the nations around the world, Vietnamese President said here Thursday.

    The large participation of women leaders representing more than a half of the world's population at the summit themed "Women and Asia Driving the Global Economy" has proved their importance to the economic development, said President Nguyen Minh Triet in a welcoming letter to the summit.

    He thanked women for their valuable contribution to peace preservation, gender equality promotion as well as economic cooperation and development.

    The 18th Global Summit of Women, or informally called the "Davos for Women", opened here Thursday afternoon with the attendance of over 900 participants.