On the morning of June 9, Politburo Member, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung attended and delivered the opening speech at the opening session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2026.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung emphasized that after 59 years of formation and development, the biggest mark of ASEAN lies not only in its population of nearly 700 million people or in its position as one of the most dynamic growth centers in the world, but also in its efforts to overcome differences, foster trust and expand cooperation to become a united, resilient and unified community in diversity.
If nearly 6 decades have been a journey to build ASEAN's identity, then the next decades will be a journey to shape ASEAN's future in a world where the foundational rules of global economy, technology and power are being rewritten" - Prime Minister Le Minh Hung affirmed.
Pointing out that technology is redefining competitiveness, artificial intelligence is redefining productivity and data is redefining power and green transformation is redefining development models, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung noted that in such a pivotal moment, the advantage belongs not only to countries with large resources but also to countries and regions capable of participating in shaping new rules and standards of the era.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung said that on the journey to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, ASEAN needs to aim for 3 strategic dimensions.
First, not only participating in global trends, ASEAN must also contribute to shaping those trends. Second, not only a production center but also a center of innovation and creativity. Third, not only a community of countries but also a real community of people.
In the content that ASEAN is not only a production center but also a center of innovation and creativity, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung pointed out that labor advantages and geographical location have made ASEAN an important link in the global supply chain.
But in the digital age, the future does not belong to economies that only know how to produce but also to economies that know how to be creative. ASEAN is not only a place where technology is consumed but must become a place where technology is created, not only a place where supply chains pass through but must become a place where value chains are shaped.
This requires ASEAN to invest more strongly in science and technology, innovation, digital economy and high-quality human resources, towards forming a technology and digital ecosystem with ASEAN identity, reflecting our own values and actively contributing to the process of forming common standards of the world" - Prime Minister Le Minh Hung shared.
According to the Prime Minister, ASEAN's greatest value in nearly 60 years has proven to the world that differences do not lead to division, unity does not eliminate diversity, and integration does not lose its identity. ASEAN's greatest value in the coming decades will prove that a united and resilient community can fully participate in actively shaping the peace, cooperation and development of the region and the world.
On that journey, Vietnam strongly commits to continuing to accompany ASEAN with the aspiration to build a future with all our hearts and minds, because Vietnam's future is associated with ASEAN's future as well as associated with peace, stability and common prosperity of the entire region" - Prime Minister Le Minh Hung said.
