Speaking today at the ASEAN Future Forum 2026 (AFF 2026), Prime Minister Le Minh Hung emphasized that in a deeply changing world, the crucial question for ASEAN is not merely how it will adapt, but how it will actively shape its own future in the 21st century.

After 59 years of formation and development, ASEAN's most significant achievement is not just its population of nearly 700 million people or its position as one of the world's most dynamic growth centers. It is also its effort to overcome differences, foster trust, and expand cooperation, transforming into a community that is united, resilient, and diverse.

The coming decades will mark a journey to define ASEAN's future, as fundamental rules governing economics, technology, and global power are being rewritten worldwide.

"Technology is redefining competitiveness, artificial intelligence is redefining productivity, data is redefining power, and the green transition is redefining development models," the Prime Minister stated.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung speaking at the ASEAN Future Forum 2026 on 9/6. *Photo: Giang Huy*

In such a pivotal moment, the advantage belongs not only to nations with vast resources but also to those countries and regions capable of engaging with the era's new situations, rules, and standards. Vietnam believes ASEAN must become an active player, not merely a recipient of global actors but a driving force in shaping these very trends.

To realize this aspiration, ASEAN must continue to uphold its spirit of solidarity, resilience, and unity in diversity – the values that have underpinned its success. However, this requires a more innovative approach: consensus on values but dynamism in action, steadfastness in principles but innovation in methods, and maintaining identity while proactively creating opportunities amidst the changes of the new era.

On its journey to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung stated that ASEAN needs to pursue three strategic dimensions.

First, ASEAN should not only participate in global trends but also contribute to shaping them. For decades, ASEAN has enjoyed peace, integration, and open trade. In an increasingly fragmented and competitive world, ASEAN needs a stronger voice in establishing new norms, rules, and cooperation structures, resolving differences based on international law.

Second, ASEAN must become a center for dialogue, a focal point for cooperation, and a pillar of trust. This is ASEAN's unique contribution to the peace, stability, and development of the region and the world.

Third, ASEAN should be not only a manufacturing hub but also a center for innovation. Its labor advantages and geographical location have made ASEAN a vital link in global supply chains.

In the digital era, the future belongs not only to economies that produce but also to those that innovate. ASEAN should not merely consume technology; it must become a place where technology is created. It should not just be a transit point for supply chains but a place where value chains are formed.

"This requires ASEAN to invest more heavily in science and technology, innovation, the digital economy, and high-quality human resources. The goal is to establish a technology and digitalization ecosystem with an ASEAN identity, reflecting our own values, while actively contributing to the formation of global standards," the Prime Minister stated.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and ASEAN leaders attending AFF 2026 on 9/6. *Photo: Giang Huy*

The Prime Minister noted that ASEAN is not just a community of nations but a true community of its people. The ultimate goal of any development strategy is not growth figures but the quality of life for its citizens.

"We believe that innovation that widens gaps is not progress. Growth that lacks inclusivity cannot be sustainable," he said.

The Prime Minister affirmed that ASEAN's success is measured not just by GDP but by the opportunities created for the youth, the roles empowered for women, the protection extended to vulnerable groups, and the extent to which every citizen feels this is truly the community they belong to.

AFF 2026 is taking place in Hanoi from 9-10/6, marking the first major high-level multilateral foreign affairs event hosted by Vietnam after the 14th Party Congress. This is the third consecutive year Vietnam has organized AFF, an initiative announced by Vietnam at the ASEAN Summit in 2023.

Ngoc Anh