Brian Jeffrey
On May 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh participated in the opening ceremony of the 46th ASEAN Summit and related conferences in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, alongside ASEAN leaders and representatives from Timor Leste.
Leaders from ASEAN, Timor Leste, and various ministerial representatives gathered at the summit, including senior officials and the ASEAN Secretary-General. The event anticipates around 1,000 delegates, as well as numerous local and international media personnel.
The high-level delegation from Vietnam carries a unified message of proactive engagement and responsibility, ready to enhance contributions to ASEAN’s overall mission.
Vietnam seeks to collaborate with fellow member states in defining strategic paths and actionable measures aimed at bolstering regional cooperation and improving ASEAN’s worldwide presence in the forthcoming years.
Under Malaysia’s chairmanship, the summit is taking place on May 26-27 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, themed “Inclusive and Sustainable.” Leaders from ASEAN, Timor Leste, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and China are in attendance.
Throughout ten sessions, leaders will discuss pivotal strategies and measures for fostering intra-regional collaboration, improving connectivity with international partners, and boosting economic resilience. They will also identify new cooperation avenues in light of ongoing regional and global challenges.
Key focus areas include enhancing ASEAN’s central role in fostering strategic trust through dialogue, diplomacy, and goodwill; expanding significant partnerships with external entities; achieving inclusive and sustainable growth by increasing intra-regional trade and investment, improving economic ties with partners, integrating markets and supply chains, advancing green financing, and bolstering digital resilience. The discussions will also aim at building a united community, narrowing development gaps, improving living standards, and addressing climate change impacts.
The significance of these summits lies in the opportunity for leaders to share insights, review achievements, and align on strategic cooperative directions to sustain ASEAN’s trajectory, enhance adaptability, and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.
On May 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is set to participate in the Plenary and Retreat Sessions of the 46th ASEAN Summit, alongside dialogues with representatives from the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), ASEAN youth, and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC). He will also engage in several crucial bilateral and multilateral interactions.
On the morning of May 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a breakfast working session with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone during the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
In a cordial environment, the three Prime Ministers shared perspectives on mutual interests and regional and global issues. They recognized that all three nations are working to navigate political, security, and socio-economic hurdles influenced by international dynamics. Their trilateral relationship has seen considerable qualitative advancements recently.
The three administrations have worked quickly to coordinate practical cooperation following previous high-level meetings and exchanges.
The leaders noted that the existing bilateral and trilateral mechanisms among Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos have proven effective, particularly in defense, public security, and foreign affairs. Meetings involving the Defense Ministers, Interior/Public Security Ministers, and Foreign Ministers are crucial for turning high-level commitments into tangible results.
They highlighted that a foundation of strategic trust and a shared vision is essential for enduring cooperation, especially regarding trade, finance, education, culture, and connecting people among the three nations.
They agreed to enhance development in border regions by emphasizing infrastructure connectivity, energy collaboration, trade facilitation, digital advancement, human resource development, and optimizing land border crossings to boost cross-border commerce and socio-economic growth. They also consented to explore establishing cross-border economic zones, revising existing agreements, and striving to elevate bilateral trade volumes—targeting USD 5 billion between Vietnam and Laos, and USD 20 billion between Vietnam and Cambodia. They reaffirmed support for the “Three countries, one destination” tourism initiative and committed to collaborating with Thailand on regional transport connectivity projects.
The leaders acknowledged that the security of each country is interconnected with the others’ interests. They committed to working together to ensure political stability, security, public order, and peaceful, friendly borders. They also agreed to intensify efforts to combat cross-border crimes and illegal migration.
Emphasizing the importance of the tradition of solidarity and mutual support among Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, especially considering historical sacrifices, they recognized that this unity is vital for advancing trilateral cooperation. They agreed to maintain regular high-level communication and to develop new outreach strategies that underscore the significance of trilateral ties, particularly among youth, parliamentarians, and wider communities.
Consequently, the Prime Ministers committed to overseeing ministries, agencies, and localities in executing agreed-upon cooperation initiatives while exploring new mechanisms to bolster effectiveness and unity.
They also concurred to expand collaboration in education, training, tourism, culture, science, and technology, with Vietnam pledging to increase the availability of high-quality scholarships for students from Laos and Cambodia.
The leaders reaffirmed the necessity of mutual discussions concerning regional and international matters of common concern, including the South China Sea and the situation in Myanmar. They committed to cooperative efforts regarding upcoming significant national events in each nation.
During this occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivered letters from General Secretary To Lam to Lao President and Party General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith, as well as to Cambodian People’s Party President and Senate President Hun Sen, inviting them to Vietnam’s 80th National Day celebrations.
TTXVN
