ASEAN

NA Chairman Man praised the initiative to convene the ASEAN City Leaders Conference, describing it as a significant step in recognising the increasingly important role of cities in building the ASEAN community.

The ASEAN Future Forum 2026 carries special significance. Its theme not only reflects the core values that define ASEAN, but also points to the direction our Association should take in the years ahead.

Deputy PM Nguyen Van Thang proposed a shared vision for an ASEAN fintech ecosystem that is open, secure, transparent, inclusive, and sustainable: “Open” to foster connectivity, “Secure” to enable growth, “Transparent” to build trust, “Inclusive” to ensure that no one is left behind, and “Sustainable” to strengthen resilience and support long-term progress.

The opening session of the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2026 took place on June 9 in Ha Noi, featuring a keynote address by Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, alongside remarks from leaders of ASEAN member states, senior United Nations officials and recorded messages from foreign ministers.

At the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, delegates visited the Doan Mon Gate and learnt about the formation and development of the ancient capital through different historical periods at display spaces. They also explored the Kinh Thien Palace’s Dragon Steps (large stone steps with dragon carvings), regarded as the political and ceremonial centre of the imperial citadel during successive Vietnamese dynasties.

In his welcoming remarks, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung said Viet Nam established the forum with the aim of creating an open, substantive and forward-looking space for dialogue among ASEAN member states and international partners.

ASEAN should continue upholding the values that have underpinned its success - solidarity, resilience and unity in diversity, while embracing greater innovation in both thinking and action. The bloc should remain firm in its principles while becoming more agile in its responses to emerging challenges and opportunities, said PM Le Minh Hung.

A series of side events held in Ha Noi on June 8 within the framework of the third ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2026 focused on the strategic role of the Mekong subregion and the contribution of young people as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) works towards realising the its Community Vision 2045.

The ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) is steadily establishing itself as one of the region’s key strategic dialogue platforms, reflecting Viet Nam’s increasingly proactive role in generating ideas, promoting cooperation and helping shape ASEAN’s strategic priorities, according to ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn.

Leaders across ASEAN member states gathered in Ha Noi on June 8 for the ASEAN Cities Leader Conference 2026 held under the theme 'Driving the future through smart, sustainable and connected cities” as part of the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum hosted by Viet Nam.

Although each country has its own political conditions and development realities, political parties across the region share a common responsibility for ASEAN’s peaceful, stable, and prosperous future.

The roundtable discussion entitled “The Southeast Asian political parties’ role in building the ASEAN Community”, organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam, marked the opening event of a series of activities within the framework of the third ASEAN Future Forum.

The ASEAN Future Forum 2026 (AFF 2026) will run in Ha Noi on June 9-10, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs told an international press briefing in the capital on May 26.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang, head of the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) delegation of Viet Nam, led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 32nd ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Consultation (ACSOC) and the 26th ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea/South China Sea (ASEAN-China SOM-DOC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 21.

Viet Nam has officially assumed the rotating chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Copenhagen (ACC) for a one-year term starting May 2026.

Viet Nam and ASEAN attach great importance to their partnership with the European Union (EU) and support stronger comprehensive, practical and effective cooperation between the two blocs, Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung affirmed at the 25th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in Brunei on April 28.

The Online Product Safety Summit in Ha Noi on March 18 focused on practical enforcement solutions for identifying and removing non-compliant goods from online marketplaces, thereby strengthening consumer protection amid the rapid growth of e-commerce.

Emerging young leaders from across Southeast Asia gathered at the ASEAN Future Forum NextGen Workshop 2026 held in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 9 by the UK Mission to ASEAN and the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam.

Authorised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Multilateral Trade Policy Department led the Vietnamese delegation to the 49th Meeting of the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI 49), held in Iloilo, the Philippines, from February 25 to 27.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2026, with the message: joining hands to shape the future of tourism, has provided an important platform for Southeast Asian nations to strengthen cooperation, advance sustainable and inclusive growth, and position ASEAN as a diverse, well-connected and globally competitive destination.