Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong told reporters that the forum, first proposed by the Vietnamese Prime Minister at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in September 2023, has been successfully organised in 2024 and 2025, gradually establishing itself as an open dialogue platform that effectively complements ASEAN’s formal processes.
Cuong stressed that AFF 2026 carries major strategic significance for the host as it will be the first large-scale, high-level multilateral diplomatic event hosted by Viet Nam following the success of the 14th National Party Congress, the 16th National Assembly election, and the consolidation of Party and State leadership positions.
A successful forum, he said, will provide a vivid proof of Viet Nam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and peace, while further projecting the image of a dynamic, developing and deeply integrated Viet Nam in the region and beyond.
This year’s forum is built around the theme “Shaping a Shared Future Together: Peace, Prosperity and People-Centred Development”. Cuong said the choice directly targets the most urgent demands of the current era amid increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, while also reflecting Viet Nam’s strategic vision.
Placing people at the centre, he stressed, is not merely a slogan but a guiding principle for ASEAN Community building, ensuring that the interests and resilience of all people are bolstered, and nobody is left behind as the region shifts to new growth models and confronts global uncertainty.
On scale and agenda, AFF 2026 will be materially larger in both length and substance than previous editions, with more than 20 activities designed to be diverse, open, and inclusive.
Pre-forum events on June 8 include a dialogue among Southeast Asian political parties, the ASEAN Cities Leadership Conference, a Mekong sub-regional roundtable, the Southeast Asian Youth Conference, and a roundtable on artificial intelligence (AI) governance.
On June 9 morning, the official opening session will take place at the Melia Ha Noi hotel, with keynote addresses expected from key Vietnamese Party and State leaders and high-ranking officials from several ASEAN member states.
Plenary sessions will follow, focused on ASEAN resilience and unity, new initiatives for conflict prevention, and the scaling of AI applications across the region. Delegates will also attend a closed-door luncheon discussion on financial technology (Fintech).
On June 10, plenary discussions on energy security and development models will precede the closing session.
Dr. Nguyen Hung Son, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam (DAV), affirmed that AFF 2026 will draw an unprecedented mix of participants, extending beyond government policymakers to include representatives from the business community, academia, youth, society organsations, and members of the public.
He said he expects the forum to serve as an “incubator” for innovative ideas and comprehensive solutions to shared challenges in Southeast Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific.
In a Q&A with domestic and foreign media, Son said this year’s agenda zeroes in on the issues most directly linked to people’s daily lives and safety, ensuring citizens can benefit from advances in AI and identifying ways to secure energy supplies amid global supply chain disruptions, thereby fostering societal resilience against future shocks.
Cuong described the initiative for dialogue among Southeast Asian political parties as a major breakthrough in regional diplomacy, marking the first time inter-party relations move beyond bilateral engagement into a multilateral framework. The goal, he said, is to unlock the potential and maximise the role of political parties in maintaining regional stability and shaping cooperation and development.
On the role of major ASEAN urban areas, he observed that while governments formulate policy, major cities are where those visions are translated into reality as hubs of population, economic activity, technology, and finance.
He singled out Ha Noi, whose Khue Van Cac (Pavilion of Constellation Literature) symbol appears in the forum’s logo, as not just the birthplace of the event but a testament to a thousand-year-old capital committed to contributing to ASEAN’s shared peace and prosperity.
On the East Sea issue, Son reaffirmed that peace and stability in the waters remain a top priority for both Viet Nam and ASEAN. Although the matter won’t have a standalone session, the principles of upholding international law and settling disputes through peaceful means will be organically woven into discussions on conflict prevention.
He added that regional energy security is inseparable from the safety and uninterrupted operation of vital maritime routes through the East Sea.
