Philippine Ambassador to Việt Nam Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III. — VNA/VNS Photo

 HÀ NỘI — The Philippines expects Việt Nam to make substantive contributions to the development of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to Philippine Ambassador to Việt Nam Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency ahead of Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng’s upcoming trip to the Philippines, the diplomat expressed hope that the Vietnamese leader would share his views on how ASEAN can sustain economic growth and development despite challenges arising from ongoing regional conflicts.

PM Hưng is scheduled to attend the 48th ASEAN Summit, to be held on May 7–8 in Cebu, at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr, Chair of ASEAN 2026.

According to the diplomat, one of the strengths of ASEAN lies in the diversity of its member states, which would enable them to contribute to the discussion and learn from the others to address some of their own weaknesses. 

"Việt Nam has always exhibited a remarkable annual growth," he noted.

He observed that in the area of international law, Việt Nam has been consistent in promoting multilateralism and adhering to the rule of law and promoting international law.

“We are certain that the Prime Minister will be contributing his thoughts and opinions on these particular issues as the leaders will be discussing the evolving political and regional challenges that we are facing outside of our region.”

The ambassador said with varying opinions and the sharing of the experiences, the host is looking forward to having a productive discussion among the leaders in the area of trade and international law. “We look at Việt Nam to provide substantive contribution on these issues.”

According to him, this year’s theme “Navigating our Future, Together” would be discussed under three overarching priorities. The first is the peace and security anchor. The second is on prosperity corridors and the third is on people empowerment. The Cebu Protocol to Amend the Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is expected to be adopted at the event.

"This Summit is also very significant because, for the first time, we will have 11 Heads of Government or State attending, with the admission last year of Timor Leste," he said, calling this is another milestone in ASEAN history.

Commenting on the spirit of unity and efforts to realise the ASEAN Community Vision, the diplomat said the Philippines, together with other ASEAN member states, ensures discussions and priorities are geared towards promoting and strengthening the bloc’s three pillars – the political-security community, the economic community, and the socio-cultural community.

The ambassador noted the belief that on the basis of the three pillars ASEAN continues to be able to sustain economic growth and development through mutual assistance.

"We are going to be contributing to the achievement of peace and security in the region and continue to contribute our opinions on other global issues which may be discussed by leaders outside of ASEAN."

"We are hopeful that, with the participation of Việt Nam, particularly in responding to the challenges this year in the areas of trade and economic development, we will be listening from each other and contributing towards sustaining the relevance of ASEAN in the evolving political architecture, not only of the region but also outside the region". — VNA/VNS