Southeast Asian political parties urged to strengthen cooperation

The event, held in Ha Noi on June 8, featured the participation of Politburo Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung; Party Central Committee Member and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong; along with representatives of political parties, scholars, and experts from across Southeast Asia.

In his keynote remarks, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung stressed that this first-ever dialogue among Southeast Asian political parties was taking place at a time when both the regional and global landscapes are evolving at an unprecedented pace, with rapid, profound, and far-reaching changes affecting all countries and political parties.

The discussion received around 20 insightful and thoughtful presentations from representatives of political parties, scholars, and experts. Speakers agreed that cooperation and trust are essential requirements for fostering healthy and constructive international relations, and are becoming increasingly important in a world characterised by rapid change, intensifying competition, and growing fragmentation.

Following three lively discussion sessions, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong, speaking at the closing session, concluded that although the political contexts of individual countries differ, political parties across the region share a profound sense of responsibility for a peaceful, stable, and resilient ASEAN future. The discussions clearly demonstrated a common commitment and determination to contribute to the ASEAN Community-building process.

The Deputy Foreign Minister reaffirmed that, for Viet Nam, promoting cooperation with political parties around the world and across Southeast Asia remains one of the country's top priorities and an important component of implementing its foreign policy and international integration strategy.