Vietnam Prime Minister: ASEAN Strengthens Strategic Convergence, Pursues Sustainable Development

The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 opened in Hanoi, Vietnam, with the title “Toward Fast and Sustainable Growth of a People-Centered ASEAN Community.” The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered 500 delegates on the occasion, including government leaders, cultural figures, and diplomats from the bloc and partner countries.

“Vietnam will actively work with ASEAN member countries and partners to contribute to regional and global peace, stability, cooperation, and people-centered development,” Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at the opening on April 23.

The member states (Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia) and partners, according to Chinh, face numerous challenges, including development gaps among its members and modest interconnections within the community, despite the bloc representing the world’s fifth-largest economy.

“The world is witnessing growing competition among countries and regions, in addition to issues of environment, peace, and cooperation, while the exponential growth of technology may create a turning point, but also risks of inequality for developing countries,” the Vietnamese Prime Minister explained, according to Vietnamnews.vn. “Meanwhile, emerging trends of green growth and circular economy require new approaches that take into account globality and the global context to deliver long-term economic benefits.”

Vietnam believes it is important for ASEAN to have a common position on regional and international issues for “strategic trust” among its members and partners to mitigate conflicts and maintain stability and prosperity in the region and the world. The challenges ahead include sustainable growth, green energy, and the digital economy that will become new engines of growth.