Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Mạnh Cường speaks at the international press conference on Tuesday to officially launch the ASEAN Future Forum 2026 (AFF 2026). VNS Photo Khánh Linh

HÀ NỘI — The ASEAN Future Forum 2026 (AFF) will take place in Hà Nội on June 9 and 10 under the theme ‘Shaping Our Future Together: Peace, Prosperity and People-Centred’, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced at an international press conference on Tuesday to officially launch the event.

The ASEAN Future Forum is a Vietnamese Government initiative that was originally unveiled at the ASEAN Summit in 2023. It aims to provide a platform for ASEAN leaders, partner countries, scholars and the international business community to exchange ideas and propose initiatives contributing to the future development of ASEAN. The forum also serves as a complementary channel for ASEAN’s formal processes.

Following two successful editions in 2024 and 2025, AFF has gradually established itself as an open and forward-looking platform, receiving broad support from ASEAN member states and the international community. Outcomes and recommendations from the forum have been incorporated into ASEAN Summit documents in the same year.

Addressing the press conference, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Mạnh Cường stressed that this year's AFF carries major strategic significance for Việt Nam as the host nation. It will be the first large-scale, high-level multilateral diplomatic event chaired by Việt Nam following the successful 14th National Party Congress, the election of the 16th National Assembly and the consolidation of key Party and State leadership positions.

Successfully hosting the forum, he said, would vividly demonstrate Việt Nam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance and peace, while further promoting the image of a dynamic, developing and deeply integrated Việt Nam to the region and the wider world.

Cường noted that AFF 2026 comes as the association is implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and related strategic plans aimed at building a resilient, dynamic, innovative and people-centred ASEAN.

Explaining the choice of theme, Cường said that putting people at the centre had long been a guiding principle of ASEAN community-building. The ultimate objective of regional cooperation, he noted, would be to deliver tangible benefits to citizens while ensuring sustainable social development towards 2045.

Representatives from embassies, NGOs and domestic and international media organisations attend the press conference. VNA/VNS Photo

As planned, AFF 2026 will be significantly larger than previous editions, featuring more than 20 activities in terms of scale and agenda.

Ahead of the main forum, a series of pre-events will be held on June 8, including a dialogue among Southeast Asian political parties, the ASEAN Cities Leadership Conference, a Mekong subregional roundtable, a Southeast Asian youth roundtable and a discussion on AI governance.

The official opening session is scheduled for the morning of June 9 in Hà Nội, with the participation of senior leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State, alongside high-ranking leaders from several ASEAN countries. Plenary sessions throughout the day will focus on ASEAN resilience and unity, conflict prevention initiatives and the application of AI across the region.

On the second working day, June 10, discussions will continue on energy security and development models before the forum concludes with a closing session.

Nguyễn Hùng Sơn, director of the Diplomatic Academy of Việt Nam, said AFF 2026 would mark the third time the academy has been entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to co-organise the forum. He described it as an opportunity to make practical contributions to Việt Nam’s external relations and ASEAN’s broader dialogue and cooperation process.

He expressed hope that the forum would serve as an incubator for new ideas and solutions for shared regional challenges, thus contributing to the future development of the ASEAN Community and the region.

Responding to questions about the dialogue among Southeast Asian political parties, Cường described the initiative as a major breakthrough in regional diplomacy at which inter-party relations can expand beyond bilateral engagement into a multilateral dialogue space. The initiative aims to unlock the potential and maximise the role of political parties in maintaining regional stability and shaping cooperation and development across ASEAN.

Regarding the ASEAN Cities Leadership Conference, Sơn said the initiative had received positive responses from ASEAN leaders, as major urban centres are key spaces for mobilising social resources, investment capital and public participation, enabling them to contribute directly to ASEAN’s development process.

For Hà Nội, the event presents an opportunity for the capital to showcase its role in promoting regional peace, prosperity and shared development.

On the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issue, Sơn reaffirmed that peace and stability in the East Sea would remain top priorities for both Việt Nam and ASEAN. Although the issue would not be discussed in a standalone session, the principles of respecting international law and resolving disputes through peaceful means would be organically integrated into discussions on conflict prevention. — VNS