On the afternoon of 9/6, at the Presidential Palace, General Secretary, President To Lam received delegation heads from various countries, experts, scholars, and representatives of international organizations who came to Vietnam to attend the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2026.
The General Secretary, President highlighted that the world is entering a phase of profound transformation. Three major crises related to international order, development models, and strategic trust are clearly manifesting within ASEAN itself.
Strategic competition among major powers is intensifying and expanding into foundational future areas such as technology, data, supply chains, and new governance standards. Artificial intelligence, big data, and quantum technologies are opening up vast development opportunities, but also posing many new risks. Meanwhile, challenges concerning climate, energy, water resources, population aging, fake news, information manipulation, and human security are increasingly impacting social stability and the development capacity of individual nations.
Traditional development advantages no longer provide the same impetus as before. Many familiar approaches no longer meet new requirements. Population size, resources, or capital remain important, but competitive advantages increasingly depend on the capacity for innovation, adaptation, and readiness for new development trends.
"This is a crucial requirement for ASEAN. Southeast Asia is a crossroads of many major shifts. The region has the opportunity to attract more resources, welcome shifts in supply chains, develop the digital economy, pursue green transformation, and foster new technology industries. However, opportunities do not automatically translate into advantages. Opportunities become advantages only when the region possesses the capacity to seize them, the determination to innovate, and the courage to maintain a stable environment for development," the General Secretary, President stated.
 |
General Secretary, President To Lam speaks while receiving delegates at AFF 2026. Photo: TTXVN |
General Secretary, President To Lam speaks while receiving delegates at AFF 2026. Photo: TTXVN
Peace, stability, and sustainable development can only be cultivated through unity, dialogue, trust-building, and mutually beneficial cooperation. According to Vietnam's leader, this was the starting point for initiating the ASEAN Future Forum. Vietnam's desire is to contribute an additional channel for open and substantive exchange to supplement ASEAN's common cooperation processes, enabling all parties to share, connect ideas, and seek more practical cooperation directions for the region's future.
General Secretary, President To Lam believes that the achievements of nearly six decades have affirmed ASEAN's enduring values: unity, consensus, centrality, and an inclusive approach.
Building on this foundation, ASEAN needs to continue innovating its thinking and operational methods, enhancing its adaptive capacity, and strengthening the effective implementation of common commitments to better meet development requirements in the new era.
Vietnam's leader noted that "value-centric thinking" needs to be innovated more vigorously through flexible, more effective operational methods to better meet new demands.
ASEAN must shift from process-oriented thinking to results-oriented thinking to translate commitments from documents into reality. Parties need to move from primarily consultation to more substantive coordination, allowing cooperation mechanisms to respond more quickly to inter-sectoral and interconnected issues. Furthermore, consensus in understanding must be transformed into consensus in action, so that a common voice is expressed through concrete programs, specific resources, and tangible results.
"The measure of success in the coming period will not merely be how many new documents, mechanisms, or action plans ASEAN creates, but more importantly, the extent to which ASEAN's commitments are put into practice, what transformations they bring to the region, and what benefits they deliver to people, businesses, and each member economy," the General Secretary, President emphasized.
 |
General Secretary, President To Lam meets with delegates attending AFF 2026. Photo: TTXVN |
General Secretary, President To Lam meets with delegates attending AFF 2026. Photo: TTXVN
Delegates attending AFF 2026 highly appreciated Vietnam's initiative, noting that AFF has become a reputable, open, inclusive, and constructive forum, contributing positively to shaping ASEAN's long-term development orientations.
The delegates expressed hope that AFF will continue to serve as a bridge connecting leaders, policymakers, scholars, businesses, youth, and stakeholders, fostering frank and substantive dialogue on strategic regional issues.
Thanh Danh
