Deputy Foreign Minister Đỗ Hùng Việt (left) moderates a high-level plenary session with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (second left), Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (centre), Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta (second right) and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (right). — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — The high-level plenary session of the second ASEAN Future Forum took place in Hà Nội on Wednesday, with the participation of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta.

Addressing questions from the forum’s delegates on rule-based global governance, PM Chính reiterated that the current regulations, such as those of the United Nations (UN) on international laws, are very clear.

“We must respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. Disputes should be resolved through peaceful means, without threatening or using force to settle disputes.

“These disputes can involve territorial issues, religious matters or ethnic concerns -- they must be resolved through peaceful negotiations and diplomacy to ensure stability, prevent conflict and avoid war,” he said.

The Vietnamese PM also stressed the need to uphold human rights and respect for one another on the principle of equality.

“In ASEAN, we also have our own rules emphasising unity in diversity -- this is one of the core principles of ASEAN,” said PM Chính.

The bloc also underscored the need for neutrality and flexibility in addressing regional and international issues, he said, adding that the focus must be placed on common interests for a peaceful, cooperative and prosperous regional environment.

“We must help one another and develop together to bring peace, cooperation and development to the region, ensuring that the people can live in prosperity and happiness. These are the rules that we share and agree on,” said the Vietnamese Government leader.

PM Chính also said that self-reliance and strategic proactivity should be a priority for any country, reflected in foreign relations, economic development, social welfare, and national defence and security, as well as cultural development and national identity.

“In terms of foreign relations, we always maintain a balanced stance, fair and amicable conduct for all, and create an environment of peace, cooperation and development that is rule-based,” he said.

The Vietnamese Government leader added that economic strength is also crucial to a country’s self-reliance and inclusive development, which will in turn help reinforce and adapt national security to the current global context.

On the topic of social welfare, PM Chính said social policies must ensure fairness and progress in a civilised society.

“Social welfare is support for the disadvantaged based on the goal and principle that we ensure no one is left behind on our development path.

“We do not sacrifice fairness or social progress. We pursue rapid, sustainable economic growth to increase proactivity in our strategies,” he emphasised.

These factors are the key to self-reliance and strategy, while the development of culture and national identity is crucial for promoting a country’s internal power and resources, the Government leader added.

As for cybersecurity, PM Chính stressed that the development of science and technology, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) is at an "unimaginable" stage, but these are all human inventions after all. He expressed confidence that humans can find the solutions to prevail, and his hope that countries are required to quickly adapt, maximise the positives and minimise the negatives.

The PM expressed his delight that the UN has chosen Việt Nam as the venue to sign the Hà Nội Convention on Cybersecurity. This reflects Việt Nam's role and adaptability in cybersecurity issues and, more broadly, in AI security, he said.

On the question of whether ASEAN can be a semiconductor powerhouse, PM Anwar said if we want to really harness our resources from a 700 million-strong ASEAN force, we need to coordinate.

"I think the understanding that we have had is to make sure, bilaterally and also multilaterally, within ASEAN, we should go for high-end training and more emphasis on upskilling, for technical aspects more than just design or packaging of semiconductors," PM Anwar noted.

He suggested a joint training initiative with Việt Nam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore together, because that will give us additional advantages and leverage for ASEAN as a collective with enormous potential.

Young people and climate

With regards to the role of youth and climate change going forward, the New Zealand leader urged young people "to participate in the political process, irrespective of which country you're from," get passionate and drive the changes they want to see.

"From a New Zealand perspective, we're probably one of the top five countries in the world with renewable energy, and we want to double the amount of renewable energy, so that we can actually make that transition to a much cleaner and a better future. And we're very comfortable sharing that technology, as we do in the Pacific, but also within ASEAN as well as we go forward," he added.

The Timor-Leste President remarked that "as a small country, I always tell our people, let's not engage in the name calling or assigning blame for what happened in the last 100 years," and urged people to engage in replenishing the forests, cleaning rivers and lakes, and trying to stop the depletion of fisheries and resources, among other solutions.

Answering a young delegate's question on climate change, PM Chính highlighted that the world is facing many difficult challenges, including population ageing, resource depletion and extreme climate change.

Climate change is a global, comprehensive and people-centric challenge, requiring a global, comprehensive and inclusive approach, he added.

As for solutions, he underscored the importance of international solidarity, stating that no country can tackle climate change alone.

"The world develops unevenly, with developed, developing and less developed countries. We call on the international community and developed nations to support developing and less developed countries in five key areas: institutional development, technology transfer, financial incentives, workforce training and smart governance in the current context," he shared.

PM Chính urged young people to take part in preserving the planet to ensure a bright, green, clean and beautiful environment for themselves, their communities, the region and all of humanity.

Discussing Việt Nam's efforts and contributions to the climate change response, PM Chính noted that the country is developing green energy, green transportation and green agriculture, as well as engaging in carbon credit trading and promoting afforestation.

Notably, Việt Nam is implementing a one-million-hectare high-quality, low-emissions rice programme in the Mekong Delta—a pioneering global initiative in this field that contributes to green agricultural development and global food security.

After listening to the responses and additional insights from Malaysia, Timor-Leste and New Zealand, PM Chính confirmed Việt Nam's support for Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. He expressed hope that Malaysia's major initiatives as ASEAN Chair would be shared and implemented, and that they would be effective in addressing regional challenges.

As for Timor-Leste, the PM reiterated Việt Nam's support for its early accession to ASEAN.

He also confirmed Việt Nam's support for upgrading New Zealand's relations with ASEAN and acknowledged the official visit of the New Zealand government leader to Việt Nam, aimed at elevating bilateral ties.

PM Chính expressed his sincere gratitude to New Zealand for its support in training Vietnamese workers, particularly in English language education, especially in the past, when Việt Nam faced economic sanctions and blockades. — VNS

The ASEAN Future Forum is an initiative announced by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in 2024. This large-scale multilateral Track 1.5 event brings together leaders, experts, scholars and businesses from both domestic and international spheres to discuss and propose new initiatives for ASEAN’s future development, fostering cooperation between ASEAN and its partners.The initiative has received widespread support and endorsement from ASEAN member states, partners and the international community, as demonstrated by the success of the inaugural ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) held in April 2024.Building on the success of AFF 2024, this year’s forum takes place from February 25 to 26 under the theme 'Building a United, Inclusive, and Resilient ASEAN amidst Global Transformations'. The forum features over 12 activities, including one high-level plenary session, five plenary discussions, one gala dinner, one working lunch session and several pre-forum activities.The discussions at the forum focus on topics directly related to ASEAN’s future, such as major global trends impacting ASEAN and the world, ASEAN’s foundational principles and sub-regional cooperation, governance of emerging technologies and ASEAN’s role in fostering peace and stability.