Hanoi (VNA) – The third ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2026 underscored Vietnam’s evolving role in ASEAN, reflecting its transition from a participant to a proactive contributor helping shape the region’s future, while generating strong synergies between multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, according to former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh.
AFF 2026 concluded not only as a pivotal multilateral event for the region, but also as a gathering combined with the official visits to Vietnam by the Prime Ministers of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.
Vinh said ASEAN is facing a dual challenge - implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, and responding to pressing issues such as supply chain disruptions, artificial intelligence (AI) governance, and the transition towards green and digital development models. In this context, he stressed, no country can effectively address these challenges alone, making intra-bloc cooperation more important than ever.
Reflecting on Vietnam’s integration process, he noted that AFF 2026 demonstrated the country’s growing confidence and leadership within ASEAN. He said Vietnam’s vision is increasingly guided by three priorities - peace as the foundation, prosperity as momentum, and people as the ultimate goal.
To translate those ambitious goals into reality, ASEAN as a whole must undergo a fundamental shift in mindset, he said.
Dr. Dao Ngoc Bau, Director of the Institute of Politics and International Relations under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, said a series of first-time initiatives at AFF 2026 reflected ASEAN’s shift from a largely top-down model toward multi-stakeholder and multi-layered regional governance.
For the first time, Vietnam initiated a dialogue of Southeast Asian political parties and the ASEAN Cities Leaders Conference, expanding regional discussions beyond governments. The initiatives created new channels for political consultation, policy coordination and practical cooperation on emerging issues such as AI governance, urban development and Mekong sub-regional connectivity.
Bau said the political parties dialogue could help build trust and reduce misunderstandings among regional political actors, while strengthening ASEAN’s strategic autonomy amid growing geopolitical competition. Meanwhile, the city leaders conference brought local governments into regional policymaking, enabling greater cooperation on urbanisation, digital transformation and environmental sustainability.
Jonathan Wallace Baker, UNESCO Representative to Vietnam, praised Hanoi’s pioneering role in organising the ASEAN Cities Leaders Conference, noting that with nearly 70% of ASEAN’s population expected to live in urban areas in the coming decades, networks connecting cities to share experience in governance, digital transformation, and environmental protection will become increasingly important.
This multi-layered shift is also the key to turning the “people-centred” principle into a tangible reality. According to Bau, by creating discussion channels ranging from political parties debating social welfare and inequality, and city leaders addressing transport, housing and climate change, to youth forums, ASEAN is bringing citizens directly into the process of shaping policy priorities rather than merely implementing them. This represents a transformative shift from “making policies for the people” to “making policies with the people”.
Dr. Nguyen Hung Son, President of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, which was tasked with organising the forum, said this year’s event had successfully achieved its objective of creating an open platform that brought together a wide range of stakeholders. According to him, the forum generated practical and innovative ideas to help the region address emerging challenges and advance towards a future marked by political stability, economic prosperity and a people-centred approach.
Beyond the multilateral agenda, AFF 2026 gained additional significance from the presence of four ASEAN leaders in Hanoi, underscoring strong political trust in Vietnam and opening new opportunities for cooperation.
Dr. Bau observed that the presence of the PMs of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Timor-Leste in Hanoi sent a clear diplomatic message about the exceptionally high level of political trust among regional partners. He described this as a rare opportunity to translate shared priorities into concrete agreements, while enabling Vietnam to advance its vision of linking the development space of the Mekong sub-region with the ASEAN Community Vision.
The convergence of multilateral engagement and bilateral diplomacy demonstrated Vietnam’s growing capacity to connect regional vision with practical cooperation. Strategic trust at the bilateral level provides a solid foundation for Vietnam and its neighbours to jointly shape common policies and decisions within ASEAN.
As highlighted by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in his keynote address at AFF 2026, Vietnam and ASEAN are undergoing a strategic shift in mindset — from merely participating in global trends to helping shape them. ASEAN can no longer remain simply a manufacturing hub or a consumer of technology, it must emerge as a centre of innovation.
Through strategic vision and a strong capacity for practical action at both the bilateral and multilateral levels, Vietnam has demonstrated its role as a proactive contributor and agenda-setter, helping build a robust platform for dialogue and cooperation. In doing so, it is working alongside regional partners towards an ASEAN Community 2045 that is resilient, peaceful and truly centred on its people.
With sharp strategic mindset and a proven capacity for practical action at both bilateral and multilateral levels, Vietnam has demonstrated its role as a builder and agenda-setter, contributing to a robust platform for dialogue and cooperation in pursuit of a resilient, peaceful, and truly people-centred ASEAN Community by 2045./.
