This is Prime Minister Le Minh Hung’s first overseas business trip as well as his first participation in an ASEAN Summit in his new position. His attendance sends a clear message of Viet Nam’s proactive and active commitment to making substantive and effective contributions to the ASEAN Community-building process.
The 48th ASEAN Summit holds important significance as ASEAN officially enters a new stage of development after 10 years of building the ASEAN Community with many remarkable achievements. Specifically, 2026 marks the first year of implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and strategic plans under the four pillars of Political-Security, Economic, Socio-Cultural, and Connectivity. This strategic orientation framework aims to build a united and resilient ASEAN while promoting its central role in fostering cooperation and addressing regional issues.
Under the theme “Navigating Our Shared Future, Together”, the summit provides an opportunity for leaders of the 11 ASEAN member states to share comprehensive assessments of regional and international situations, agree on orientations, and adopt decisions to further affirm ASEAN’s strategic value.
Amid complex regional and global developments, ASEAN is facing great pressure to maintain stability, ensure growth, and realise development goals. ASEAN members have agreed to strengthen solidarity, resilience, and response capacity in addressing urgent challenges, particularly in essential areas such as energy security, food security, supply chain stability, and citizen protection in emergency situations.
To effectively implement ASEAN’s strategic priorities, especially the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the key cooperation priorities of the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026, member states will focus discussions on continuing to uphold ASEAN’s common voice and central role based on respect for the rule of law, support for multilateralism and deeper relations with partners, thus contributing to maintaining a peaceful, stable, and favourable environment for development while enhancing ASEAN’s position and role in regionally and globally.
Since joining ASEAN on July 28, 1995, Viet Nam has been demonstrating a proactive, active, and responsible spirit across all community pillars and cooperation areas, making important contributions to the ASEAN Community-building process. During this trip, the Vietnamese delegation will exchange views with ASEAN countries on measures to strengthen the peaceful and stable environment, maintain ASEAN's unity and central role, enhance the capacity to respond to challenges for the sustainable development of the region and each member state, and further promote bilateral relations between Viet Nam and ASEAN countries.
Towards active participation in the summit’s priority agendas, especially urgent issues relating to energy security, food security, and citizen protection, Viet Nam has proactively studied and prepared practical proposals and initiatives to strengthen ASEAN’s collective response capacity against external fluctuations and challenges.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung’s participation in the 48th ASEAN Summit strongly demonstrates Viet Nam’s continued and consistent implementation of its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, resilience, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, as well as multilateralisation and diversification of external relations. It also reaffirms that ASEAN continues a top strategic priority in Viet Nam’s overall foreign policy.
With a proactive, active, sincere and responsible spirit, the Vietnamese delegation will closely coordinate with the Philippines as ASEAN Chair and other member states to contribute to the summit’s overall success. Focusing on the comprehensive implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and strategic plans, Viet Nam and ASEAN member states are determined to demonstrate resilience and adaptability, effectively implement the priorities of ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2026, and jointly build a resilient, dynamic, innovative, and people-centred ASEAN Community for a peaceful, stable, and sustainably developed region.
