The third edition of ASEAN Future Forum is slated to be held in Hà Nội on June 9 and 10.

HÀ NỘI — Prime Ministers from Laos, Cambodia and Timor-Leste will pay official visits to Việt Nam next week as the country prepares to host the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum in Hà Nội, a major regional dialogue aimed at shaping Southeast Asia's response to emerging challenges and opportunities.

Speaking at a regular press briefing in Hà Nội on Thursday, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng announced that Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone will visit Việt Nam from June 7-9, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet from June 8-9, and Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão from June 7-10.

The visits will coincide with the ASEAN Future Forum 2026, scheduled to take place in Hà Nội on June 9-10 under the theme 'Shaping Our Future Together: Peace, Prosperity, and People-Centred'.

The ASEAN Future Forum has emerged as an important platform for dialogue on regional and global issues affecting Southeast Asia. This year's event will focus on resilience, conflict prevention, artificial intelligence governance, energy security and development models, reflecting growing concerns over geopolitical uncertainties, technological transformation and sustainable growth.

The programme will feature plenary discussions alongside a range of specialised activities, including a roundtable among political parties in Southeast Asia, an ASEAN city leadership conference, a youth dialogue and discussions on AI governance.

More than 600 delegates have already registered to attend the forum, including senior government officials, representatives of international organisations, research institutes, businesses, local authorities and scholars from within and outside the region, the spokeswoman noted.

Hằng said Việt Nam hopes that the gathering will generate fresh ideas and practical solutions to strengthen regional cooperation and contribute to building a more cohesive, resilient and people-centred ASEAN.

Regarding the visit by the Lao PM, spokeswoman Hằng said Việt Nam and Laos continue to attach special importance and the highest priority in their respective foreign policies. The two countries have further strengthened their relationship by incorporating the concept of a strategic partnership into bilateral ties to meet the demands of a changing regional and international environment.

Relations between Việt Nam and Cambodia have also continued to develop positively across multiple sectors. Recent high-level exchanges have helped open what officials described as a new phase of cooperation, with both countries agreeing on key principles and directions for making bilateral cooperation more substantive, effective and reliable, according to the diplomat.

Meanwhile, Việt Nam's relations with Timor-Leste have expanded steadily since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2002. The Vietnamese embassy in its capital city, Dili, has been operating since April. Cooperation in telecommunications has been a particular highlight, with Vietnamese investment contributing significantly to the development of Timor-Leste's telecom sector.

The two countries have also worked closely together in regional and multilateral forums, especially within ASEAN-related mechanisms, as Timor-Leste advances its integration after becoming the 11th member of the regional bloc last year. — VNS