(KPL/VNA)The ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2025 officially opened in Hanoi on February 25, bringing together over 500 participants, including high-ranking leaders from ASEAN member states and partner countries.

As one of Vietnam’s most significant multilateral diplomatic initiatives, the two-day forum underscores the country’s proactive role in shaping ASEAN’s future.

Under the theme Building a United, Inclusive, and Resilient ASEAN amidst Global Transformation, AFF 2025 serves as a high-profile platform to drive discussions on strengthening regional cooperation, fostering sustainable development, and positioning ASEAN as a key player in global affairs.

Reinforcing ASEAN’s core values

At the 43rd ASEAN Summit in September 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhreaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to sustainable and balanced growth. He stressed that ASEAN must remain steadfast in its core principles, placing people at the center of community-building efforts while ensuring equitable development, particularly in remote and sub-regional areas.

Just months later, in April 2024, the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 in Hanoi expanded on this vision, rallying strong regional and international support. With its theme Toward Fast and Sustainable Growth of a People-Centered ASEAN Community, the forum reinforced ASEAN’s indispensable role in maintaining regional peace, stability, and economic resilience.

Reflecting on the forum’s growing impact, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn praised Vietnam’s strategic foresight in spearheading this initiative. He stressed that while ASEAN often grapples with immediate challenges, there is an urgent need to think beyond the present and develop forward-looking strategies. The AFF, he noted, provides a unique space for innovative and anticipatory discussions, ensuring ASEAN is not just reacting to global shifts but actively shaping them. While ASEAN must strengthen internal cohesion, it must also proactively engage with the wider international community, he noted.

Hub for ideas, innovation, and future-driven solutions

Building on its past success, AFF 2025 once again positions Vietnam as a key driver of ASEAN’s unity, inclusivity, and resilience. According to Dr. Nguyen Hung Son, Acting President of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, ASEAN has continuously expanded its initiatives and strengthened regional solidarity, reinforcing its standing as a robust and forward-thinking community. Looking ahead, the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 will lay the foundation for a highly resilient, innovation-driven region that can effectively navigate an evolving geopolitical landscape.

Ambassador Tran DucBinh, Director General of the ASEAN Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, affirmed that the theme of AFF 2025 reflects ASEAN’s fundamental values, which must be fully harnessed to safeguard past achievements and drive future progress. He highlighted that unity is the foundation of ASEAN’s strength and the key to its success, which must be demonstrated not only in words but in concrete actions.

Resilience defines ASEAN’s ability to navigate global uncertainties and has gained increasing prominence in ASEAN’s strategies, particularly in the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, underscoring the collective commitment to strengthening this pillar.

Inclusivity has long been a guiding principle of ASEAN, as enshrined in its Charter. Amid evolving global and regional dynamics, inclusivity must extend beyond internal engagement to encompass an open, transparent, and rules-based regional structure, one where ASEAN remains central and fosters broad-based, responsible participation from all partners.

Describing AFF 2025 as an “incubator for ideas,” UK Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam Marcus Winsley highlighted the forum’s significance as a key networking space, not only for ASEAN nations but also for global stakeholders. Discussions span a wide range of pressing issues, from sustainable development and technological advancements in food security to governance strategies and regional economic resilience.

As ASEAN celebrates a landmark year, AFF 2025 is poised to reflect on the bloc’s progress, seize emerging opportunities, and prepare for future challenges. The forum is rapidly solidifying its status as a premier ASEAN event, a trusted, future-shaping platform where leaders, experts, policymakers, businesses, and researchers converge to exchange insights, propose innovative solutions, and forge stronger regional cooperation.

KPL