World

Ahead of the ASEAN-Russia Summit, scheduled to take place in Kazan, Russia, from June 17 to 19, Nhan Dan Newspaper’s resident correspondent in Russia spoke with Professor Dmitry Mosyakov, Doctor of Historical Sciences and Head of the Centre for the Study of Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania under the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, about the significance of the summit.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that Iran and the United States plan to start negotiations Friday on a final agreement. He made the remarks at a meeting with representatives of foreign diplomatic missions broadcast on state television.

After more than three months of war and arduous negotiations, the US and Iran have reached an agreement to end the conflict. This is considered a significant step towards peace in the Middle East, providing strong impetus for resolving issues related to Iran’s “nuclear dossier.”

The European Union (EU) has recently conducted a cybersecurity exercise named Cyber Europe 2026, involving around 5,000 experts. The bloc’s caution is by no means excessive, as large-scale cyberattacks have inflicted enormous damage in the past.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced early Monday that the United States and Iran had reached a peace agreement following intensive negotiations, with an official signing ceremony scheduled for June 19 in Switzerland.

The EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum has officially entered into force, marking the most sweeping reform of migration management in decades.

Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud welcomed the final stage of the U.S.-Iran negotiations, with the electronic signing ceremony of a deal scheduled for Sunday, Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Saturday.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Friday night that the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States to end the war could take place within the next few days.

The conflict in the Middle East has dealt a heavy blow to the global economy. A fragile ceasefire and the stop-start nature of US-Iran negotiations have weighed heavily on market sentiment. Recently, the World Bank (WB) cut its forecast for global economic growth to the lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States had "just made a great settlement of the war with Iran," with an agreement expected to be signed "over the next few days."

Cambodian Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth on Thursday urged people from all walks of life to join the ongoing campaign to plant at least 1 million trees per year, aiming to expand the country's forest cover and combat climate change.

The third ASEAN Future Forum (AFF), held in Ha Noi from June 9 to 10, provided an open and substantive platform for dialogue on ASEAN’s future. The initiatives and solutions put forward in Ha Noi are expected to serve as a springboard for member states to achieve new successes in realising the Association’s aspirations for greater prominence and development.

From Asia to Europe, countries are being severely affected by unprecedented heatwaves. Extreme weather events continue to demonstrate that the fight against climate change remains an uphill battle, with a persistent gap between promises made and action taken.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will run in Israel's next election, his right-wing Likud party said Wednesday. In a brief statement, Likud said Netanyahu would "run in the upcoming elections," without elaborating.

Although both Israel and Iran have declared a halt to attacks against each other, deep differences between the two sides over issues related to Lebanon continue to raise the risk of renewed confrontation. Meanwhile, US-Iran negotiations remain deadlocked as Washington persists with its “stick” policy towards Tehran, creating a major obstacle to efforts to end the conflict in the Middle East.

Addressing the ASEAN Future Forum on Tuesday in Hanoi, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called for enhanced efforts to address disputes between the two countries.

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.

The military conflict in the Middle East has triggered an unprecedented energy shock with far-reaching consequences across the globe. At the same time, it has created momentum for countries to build resilient energy defence lines for their economies. Securing energy self-sufficiency is being prioritised by an increasing number of nations as a key factor in ensuring economic stability and national security.