Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái (right) at the 29th Future of Asia Forum in Tokyo. — VNA/VNS Photo

TOKYO — Affirming the role of Việt Nam in Asia, Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái said he believes the region will continue its steady progress and outstanding achievements across the globe.

He was addressing the Nikkei’s 29th Future of Asia Forum on Thursday, which adopted the theme of 'Asian Leadership in an Uncertain World' this year.

The event hosts government leaders, businesses and scholars in the region, including high-level officials from Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, Cambodia and Singapore.

Discussions in the forum focus on the profound impacts of current global challenges and how they have compelled Asia to maintain a peaceful and stable environment for growth.

Sharing his perspective on Asia’s role and potential, deputy PM Khái said that the region continues to see dynamic and stable development, and has emerged stronger as a role model for growth after each crisis in the past three decades.

He proposed three ‘assurances’ to ensure the development and role of Asia, the first of which is a peaceful and stable context for cooperation and growth based on the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and international laws, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two other assurances are the widespread and equal distribution of free trade and investment benefits among countries in the region, and international cooperation, multilateralism and a comprehensive approach to addressing common challenges.

Alongside these conditions are three ‘enhancements’, one of which is collaboration in reinforcing the resilience and adaptability of Asian economies and businesses.

Deputy PM Khái added that through multilateral frameworks, economies in the region should increase information sharing, coordinate macro-economic policies, and promote regional and inter-regional cooperation initiatives, especially in food, energy, cybersecurity and trade connections.

The second enhancement is to utilise resources to bolster new growth engines in the green digital economy and adopt new development trends, especially in shaping standards and principles for managing breakthrough technologies.

During this process, the Vietnamese leader asked that developed countries continue their support for developing nations in terms of finance, technology transfer, capacity enhancement in executing green growth commitments, emission reductions and adaptation to climate change.

The third solution proposed by the Deputy PM is promoting business cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and collaboration in culture and tourism.

He stressed that despite technological advancements, humans are still the core of cooperation and development, which is why nurturing the next generation is of critical importance to the region in addition to addressing current bottlenecks.

He hoped that state leaders would advocate and promote youth exchange programmes, such as the successful ones between Việt Nam and Japan, South Korea, China and ASEAN partners, to enhance mutual understanding and strategic trust among younger generations.

In tandem with Asia’s overarching growth, Việt Nam has recorded remarkable changes and proudly serves as a role model in several important aspects of development, notably in economy, social welfare and international relations, he said.

Việt Nam pursues a consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, multilateralisation and diversification in external relations, while also bolstering discipline within the state apparatus and maintaining political stability for national development, according to the Deputy PM.

He also asserted Việt Nam’s commitment to creating favourable conditions for and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and investors who are engaging in long-term, effective and sustainable operations in the country. — VNS