Deputy Foreign Minister: Strengthen ASEAN’s autonomy on the basis of cooperation.

This year’s theme accurately reflects the fundamental priorities pursued by ASEAN and the region. Peace is an essential condition for development; prosperity is a common objective for all member states; and placing people at the heart of their concerns is the very spirit of the ASEAN Community.

The future of the region cannot be built without the participation of its inhabitants, both actors and beneficiaries of cooperation. This is why this year’s Forum aims to be a space for open and inclusive dialogue where leaders, academics, businesses, young people, civil society organizations, representatives of political parties and local communities can express themselves.

ASEAN’s central role was recently highlighted by the Secretary-General and the President at the Shangri-La Dialogue. How will AFF 2026 fit into this dynamic, Mr. Secretary General?

At the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026, Secretary-General and President To Lam delivered a keynote address, emphasizing the need to create an open and inclusive regional architecture centered on ASEAN. The head of the Party and the State also noted that the central role of ASEAN is not acquired, but that it should be strengthened through solidarity, strategic autonomy and the capacity to develop a common program.

AFF 2026 is part of the continuity and realization of this spirit at the level of regional dialogue. This forum allows ASEAN and its partners to examine ways to maintain the bloc’s position in an unstable strategic environment, ensuring that all initiatives and new mechanisms complement each other and do not compromise ASEAN’s central role.

Vietnam’s initiative and its constant role as host of a forum like the AFF, as well as its active and responsible participation in regional and international mechanisms, clearly demonstrate its commitment as an active and responsible member. This is how Vietnam concretely contributes to peace, stability and the overall development of the region.

Sir, autonomy is also an important keyword of the forum. Could you tell us more about the meaning of this term?

Autonomy is essential in an ever-changing and unpredictable world. But I want to emphasize an important point: autonomy does not mean isolation or withdrawal. For small and medium-sized countries, and for an entire region like ASEAN, true autonomy is achieved through cooperation. A country that isolates itself does not become safer, but only more vulnerable and risks being neglected.

Enduring strength does not come from isolation, but from the indispensable integration of multiple, simultaneous networks of cooperation, thus preventing unilateral pressure. When members are united, share their resources, connect their infrastructure and coordinate their policies, each country becomes stronger, and the community as a whole. A resilient ASEAN is one that knows how to make connectivity a real strength.

This spirit was clearly manifested during this year’s discussions, whether on intra-bloc solidarity, conflict prevention, artificial intelligence governance or energy security. What is important to us is to make these seemingly macroeconomic issues more concrete for citizens: moving towards an approach of “AI at the service of citizens” – helping everyone adapt to the digital economy and reducing the digital divide – and promoting the transition ecological and energy security in line with the practical interests of the community All of these actions aim to strengthen ASEAN’s autonomy on the basis of solid cooperation.

This year, the Forum coincides with several important high-level diplomatic activities and has many new participants. Could you tell us more?

Indeed, on the occasion of the Forum, four Prime Ministers from ASEAN member countries will participate in an official visit to Vietnam: Sonexay Siphandone (Laos), Hun Manet (Cambodia), Anutin Charnvirakul (Thailand) and Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão (Timor-Leste). The presence of these senior leaders testifies to the spirit of regional cohesion and Vietnam’s proactive and responsible role.

Concerning the participants, two notable new features should be noted this year. For the first time, the AFF is offering a discussion session dedicated to cooperation among Southeast Asian political parties – a new channel of dialogue complementing intergovernmental cooperation; and for the first time also, the Forum is hosting the ASEAN City Leaders Conference, chaired by the city of Hanoi.

In addition to the parallel events dedicated to the Mekong sub-region, the youth of Southeast Asia and the governance of artificial intelligence, the participation of political parties, cities, young people and businesses shows that the AFF is truly an open forum where policies are discussed under multiple angles in order to be more practical and directly serve the purpose of placing people at the center.

– What are your expectations for this year’s Forum?

The ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) is a Vietnamese initiative, announced at the 2023 ASEAN Summit. Through its two editions in 2024 and 2025, many ideas and initiatives from the Forum have been integrated into the documents of the ASEAN Summits of these years there. This demonstrates that the AFF is not only a place for academic exchanges, but also provides concrete support to official ASEAN processes.

This year, the Forum comes at a time when ASEAN is implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. It is also the first major high-level multilateral diplomatic event chaired by Vietnam since the 14th Party Congress, the elections of 16th National Assembly and elections of People’s Councils at all levels.

We hope that the AFF 2026 will bring more perspectives, initiatives and concrete policy recommendations to the process of building the ASEAN Community. Through this Forum, Vietnam wishes to continue to demonstrate its role as an active and responsible member, contributing to the common work of the region and thus successfully implementing the foreign policy of the Party and the State as well as the orientations of international integration.

Thank you very much, sir!

(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

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