Beni Sukadis (left), Senior Coordinator at the Indonesian Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies, talks with a VNA reporter. — VNA/VNS Photo

JAKARTA — The ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2026 will play an important role in strengthening ASEAN’s capacity to navigate emerging challenges by fostering dialogue between ASEAN and partner countries, long-term strategic thinking, policy coordination and common solutions to emerging challenges, according to Beni Sukadis, Senior Coordinator at the Indonesian Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (Lesperssi).

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the forum in Hà Nội, Sukadis said the AFF 2026 is being held at a pivotal time as Southeast Asia grapples with strategic competition among major powers, global economic headwinds, supply chain disruptions, climate change and impact of digital transformation and new technologies.

He commended Việt Nam for sustaining the initiative for a third consecutive year, describing it as a reflection of the country’s active and responsible contribution to regional cooperation.

The forum, he noted, also highlights ASEAN’s continued commitment to dialogue, cooperation and multilateralism amid an increasingly complex and fragmented global landscape.

Commenting on the forum’s agenda, Sukadis said discussions on the digital economy, green transition, energy security, innovation, sustainable development and artificial intelligence governance hold strategic significance to the region’s future.

He pointed to the forum’s broad and inclusive scope, from economic, political and security issues to social affairs, as one of its major strengths, bringing together policymakers, academics, business representatives and young people to engage in more multidimensional and substantive discussions.

According to Sukadis, recommendations and ideas generated at the forum could provide valuable input for the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. He described the AFF as a regional platform for policy innovation where new concepts can be explored, refined and developed before being translated into concrete action.

As ASEAN moves to realise its Vision 2045 goals, enhancing the forescasting of long-term trends and preparing solutions to future challenges will become increasingly important, he said. In this context, the AFF can make a meaningful contribution to regional policymaking and help reinforce ASEAN’s central role in the evolving regional architecture.

Sukadis also highlighted dialogue as a key mechanism for preventing misunderstandings, reducing miscalculations and preserving regional stability, particularly amid strategic competition and complex developments in the East Sea. While the forum is not intended to directly resolve disputes, it can promote mutual understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation.

On Việt Nam-Indonesia relations, the analyst said the recent elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has opened up new opportunities for cooperation in maritime security, the digital economy, energy transition, food security and sustainable development.

He added that the two countries are well-positioned to deepen coordination within regional and international frameworks to uphold ASEAN centrality, advance multilateralism and support peace, stability and a rules-based regional order, contributing to a more united and resilient ASEAN. — VNA/VNS