Diplomats and experts at the plenary session on ASEAN Subregional Cooperation for Resilience and Sustainability at the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 in Hà Nội on Wednesday. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — ASEAN subregions can leverage their diverse strengths to address environmental challenges and build economic resilience of the bloc, said experts and diplomats at a plenary session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 on Wednesday.

Addressing the plenary during his keynote speech, Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane said: “Subregional cooperation has long been a vital pillar of ASEAN’s regional Integration effort. We place a crucial role on strengthening resilience, narrowing the development gaps, enhancing regional economic integration and ensuring that all members progress together.”

The ASEAN region has put in place several key sub-regional cooperation frameworks, including the Mekong Subregional Cooperation Framework, the Indonesian-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle, the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), among many others.

These subregional mechanisms have served the needs and priorities of the respective countries and subregions, and at the same time, contributing to ASEAN collective efforts to narrow the development gap for regional integration as well as for the community building process, said the Lao foreign minister.

Building on momentum

Addressing the panel, Professor Alvin Ang, a senior researcher from Brunei Darussalam’s Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS) raised that the ongoing tariff tensions mean ASEAN is benefiting from the China+1 strategy, which aims to diversify business for better resilience.

However, the Southeast Asian bloc continues to face multiple challenges in climate change adaptation, infrastructure, human capital and global uncertainties, he added, but it is not moving from scratch, he said.

“ASEAN can build momentum on what it already has. In fact, It can focus on furthering its capabilities and unique integration in the global value chain to attract more investments,” the professor explained.

One of the priorities is to leverage regional strength and collaboration through subregional groupings, in addition to attracting investments in sectors that are already within reach, such as sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and ecotourism.

Professor Ang also stressed the need for reforms for more business-friendly regulatory processes, as well as seamless integration of infrastructure to facilitate cross-border collaboration.

Broader collaboration

Lao foreign minister Phomvihane said that while subregional initiatives are instrumental in addressing localised challenges, the impact can be significantly amplified through stronger aligned and broader regional frameworks.

The possible approaches to enhance synergy between subdivisional cooperation and ASEAN priorities include aligning policies, enhancing infrastructure and digital connectivity, promoting sustainable and inclusive growth, mobilising resources and enhancing partnerships.

ASEAN has been strengthening ties not only among its member states but also partners from outside the bloc.

Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to ASEAN Sujiro Seam said that “there is a consensus to consider ASEAN and the European Union as the two most successful examples of regional integration in the world.”

“ASEAN and the EU share the same overarching ambition for peace and prosperity, and they share the same belief that they can achieve more working together than for the member states working alone,” the diplomat added.

Aligning with its cohesion policy, the EU has invested in various sectors in Southeast Asia, including climate, biodiversity, environment protection, circular economy, and sustainable connectivity.

Among the highlights of EU investments in ASEAN is the Team Europe Initiative, which brings together the EU member states and financial institutions to support the green transition towards the low carbon economy.

Meanwhile, Australia has established a partnership with the Mekong River Commission to work on hydropower development, climate change and local livelihoods in the Mekong subregion.

Australian Ambassador to ASEAN Tiffany McDonald also underlined the importance Australia attaches to regional trade for development programmes, and to realising the benefits of free trade agreements.

Last week, Australia ratified the upgraded ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), aiming to ensure that every country, and businesses within each country, can realise the benefits of free trade agreements.

Australia recognised that ASEAN centrality is crucial to shaping a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, Ambassador McDonald told the event.

“We see ASEAN architecture as indispensable and as a mechanism through which we cooperate and we build strategic trust and guard against conflict,” she said. — VNS