Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called on ASEAN countries to ponder over strategic and comprehensive future planning in his opening remarks at the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 in Hanoi on Tuesday, saying the job is significant amid the increasingly fierce competition among regions and countries.

The Vietnamese government leader said this competition poses great challenges to peace, solidarity, cooperation, and development in the region and the world as a whole.

A boom of new technologies and digitalization has opened up breakthrough opportunities, but it also posed a risk of lagging behind, especially to developing and under-developed countries.

He affirmed that ASEAN has never been in a better position than it is now, but it also has never faced more challenges after nearly six decades of establishment and development.

ASEAN boosts dialogue, cooperation, and development with multiple initiatives. As the world’s fifth-largest economic bloc, its role has been recognized widely.

However, the gap between members remains large and the regional collaboration is not close enough, meaning the bloc needs to have a strategic and comprehensive vision, improve its resilience capacity to grasp opportunities, and handle global headwinds for stable and sustainable development, PM Chinh affirmed.

Being an ASEAN member for nearly three decades, Vietnam always considers the grouping among the top priorities in its foreign, economic, security, and national defense policies.

Vietnam always does its utmost for a united and strong ASEAN with its improving position in the world, the Vietnamese leader said.

He affirmed that Vietnam’s development is always in association with ASEAN and has obtained important achievements in all aspects.

Nevertheless, the country has encountered many difficulties and challenges due to its status as a developing nation with a relatively small-scale economy that is highly open.

Consequently, its ability to withstand external factors remains limited.

This is also the challenge of other ASEAN countries, so the bloc’s unity, cooperation, and support are needed, PM Chinh noted.

ASEAN is looking to realize its goal of developing a dynamic, connected, and resilient community by 2045. 

PM Chinh suggested the bloc enhance solidarity and cooperation, bolster unity in diversity, promote its central role, respect differences, ensure harmonized benefits, and stay steadfast in its principles on regional and global security and development.

The bloc should also enhance strategic confidence among its members and with its partners, contributing to conflict prevention and the maintenance of peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the region and globally, added the Vietnamese prime minister.

He urged ASEAN to intensify efforts in digital transformation, green development, circular economy, innovation, and startup initiatives to foster new and sustainable growth drivers while revitalizing traditional motivations.

He also called on the bloc to enhance harmonized, sustainable, and inclusive development, mobilize resources, and create strategic breakthroughs in mechanisms, human resources, infrastructure, and national management.

PM Chinh stated that Vietnam will persist in collaborating with ASEAN members and partners to forge a new path for the alliance and contribute to the bloc’s peace, cooperation, and development.

He emphasized the principles of people-centricity and inclusivity, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone stressed that ASEAN members should keep integrating into the regional and global economic market.

ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn hailed Vietnam’s initiative of hosting the ASEAN Future Forum 2024, saying that the nation has a great vision.

The forum is prompt and vital amid the challenges and is an opportunity for countries to chew over their future plans.

Themed 'Toward Fast and Sustainable Growth of a People-Centered ASEAN Community,' the one-day ASEAN Future Forum 2024 gathered nearly 500 delegates, including government leaders, business leaders, scholars, and partner countries, proving their interest in and positive response to Vietnam’s initiative.

The forum was initiated by PM Chinh during the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in September last year.

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