The closing ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings is held in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday afternoon. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

KUALA LUMPUR — Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and leaders of member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) attended the closing ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, and the handover of the ASEAN Chairmanship from Malaysia to the Philippines in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday afternoon.

Delivering his closing remarks at the end of the three-day event featuring over 20 activities, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim expressed his gratitude to all ASEAN member states and partners for their contributions and efforts, which ensured the success of the summits. He described it as an event guided by perseverance and reason in a time of turbulence, and a testament to the ASEAN Way.

He stressed that the key outcomes achieved will inject fresh momentum into regional integration, enhance the bloc’s collective strength and global standing, and prepare the inclusive and sustainable ASEAN Community to move forward confidently into its next stage of development with 11 member countries.

The outcomes of the summits between ASEAN and its partners affirmed the association’s centrality and prestige, helping to further strengthen and expand its external relations for the sake of peace, stability, and development.

Taking over the chairmanship from Malaysia, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the theme “Navigating our future together” for ASEAN Year 2026, with three overarching priorities of strengthening peace and security, enhancing prosperity corridors, and empowering the people.

The Vietnamese delegation, led by PM Chính, participated actively and contributed effectively to nearly 20 multilateral activities within the framework of the summits, sharing several strategic directions shaping ASEAN’s future.

Việt Nam also advanced practical cooperation and friendship with partners through more than 20 bilateral meetings. The country’s proposals and initiatives focused on promoting an ASEAN Community that is united, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable, placing people at the centre of development and linking national progress with regional prosperity.

Through these efforts, Việt Nam demonstrated its role as a proactive, active, and responsible member, making tangible contributions to intra-bloc solidarity, and ASEAN’s centrality for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region.

Later the same day, PM Chính and the Vietnamese delegation departed Kuala Lumpur, successfully concluding their working trip to Malaysia. — VNA/VNS