International conference on “ASEAN in A Changing World: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects” held in Hà Nội on Thursday. VNS Photos Khánh Dương

HÀ NỘI — As the most effective regional cooperation mechanism in the Indo-Pacific, ASEAN has become a priority in the policies of major powers towards the Asia-Pacific region, an international conference on 'ASEAN in a Changing World: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects' heard in Hà Nội on Thursday.

Co-hosted by Việt Nam Peace and Development Foundation and Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, the conference brought together about 100 Vietnamese and international scholars, researchers and diplomats to engage in a multi-faceted discourse on the critical topics of ASEAN roles in a turbulent world.

Assoc. Prof. Võ Xuân Vinh, director general in charge of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies at the Việt Nam Academy of Social Sciences, said major countries all highly appreciate and support ASEAN’s central role in the regional structure taking shape in the Asia-Pacific.

Countries like China, India, the US and Japan have participated in major ASEAN-led mechanisms such as ASEAN+1, ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit and ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus. These countries have also directly voiced their support for ASEAN’s centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, he said.

“They consider ASEAN’s central role as a fundamental principle to promote cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, and ASEAN-led mechanisms as the foundation for dialogue and cooperation in the region,” he said.

Assoc. Prof., Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý delivered a speech on "Multilateral Institutions and International Law In A Changing World".

Assoc. Prof., Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý, former deputy minister of foreign affairs, said that in 2030, ASEAN will be the fourth largest economy in the world and the most successful Community in regional links for developing countries. ASEAN has experienced difficulties in building the Community but continues to receive attention from major countries.

From now until 2030, Myanmar is unlikely to hold elections. Meanwhile, the East Sea area still sees potential instability, even local conflicts. ASEAN countries continue to feel pressure from major countries and collective forces, he said.

The role of regional institutions is challenging but may grow, Quý said, predicting that ASEAN will have a greater role when it maintains solidarity and independence and increases its internal strength through efforts to connect and build the community.

“On the contrary, ASEAN’s role will decline if it fails to handle the 'push and pull' pressure of major countries and fails to maintain solidarity and unity in issues of common interest to the association,” he said.

Dr Nguyễn Hải Lưu, deputy director general of the Foreign Policy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions continue to be the locomotives of world economic growth, but they contain many complex and unpredictable traditional and non-traditional security factors.

ASEAN continues to play a central role in the region's security structure, being the only forum in the region capable of hosting dialogue and cooperation between major countries, he said.

Vithaya Xayavong, director general of the Institute of Foreign Affairs in Laos, said: “Enhancing our good relationship with external partners is indeed crucial, especially as Southeast Asia has become a competing ground amid geopolitical tensions between major powers."

By promoting regional integration and resilience through various initiatives, ASEAN can deepen partnerships with other regional and global actors, particularly major powers. This strategic approach will allow ASEAN to balance diverse interests and avoid being overshadowed by external influences, ultimately contributing to a stable and prosperous region amid the evolving dynamics of competing major powers.

“To build a strong community, ASEAN cohesion, resilience and connectivity must be further enhanced.”

“Trust is indeed the cornerstone of the ASEAN Community, seamlessly connecting its diverse member nations. This trust is not merely a sentiment but a practical necessity in an environment where disparities exist,” she said.

Ambassador Artauli Tobing, former Indonesian Ambassador to Việt Nam and former Presidential Advisor highlighted the emergence of non-State actors as important players in influencing international standards.

“While ASEAN’s engagement with non-State actors is not new and has grown steadily in line with its vision of building a people-centred community, many believe that these efforts could still be intensified for greater impacts,” she said.

“Simply increasing engagement is not enough. Strengthening as well as intensifying regular dialogue and communication at ASEAN between State and non-State actors, such as women's groups, religious leaders, youth, professional associations, is needed.” — VNS