Prime Minister attends 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur

At the session, leaders of ASEAN Member States expressed their deep condolences over the passing of former President Tran Duc Luong, and highly appreciated his significant contributions to Viet Nam's development.

They held that the bloc needs to leverage its internal potential, support a rule-based multilateral trading system, effectively utilize existing trade agreements, expand integration and connectivity, and take the initiative in leading and shaping the region's future through frameworks and initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid and the Digital Economy Framework Agreement.

The regional leaders unanimously adopted the "ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future" document which encompasses the ASEAN Community vision 2045 and strategies on political-security, economic, socio-cultural, and connectivity pillars, establishing a strategic foundation for ASEAN cooperation and integration in the decades to come.

The leaders agreed to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member of ASEAN at the 47th ASEAN Summit that will take place in October 2025.

Addressing the event, Prime Minister Pham voiced his support for this year’s theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability” and his confidence that Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair, will steer the grouping through difficulties and challenges, praising the country’s role in providing the association’s timely and coordinated response.

He said the world is undergoing unprecedented and unpredictable shifts, marked by growing political polarisation, economic fragmentation, institutional disunity, and developmental divides.

In this context, Pham stressed the need for ASEAN to fully embrace the "five enhancements" - greater unity to build collective strength; greater resilience to take charge of its own destiny; greater proactiveness to shape the agenda; greater inclusiveness to remain a shared home for all member states; and greater sustainability to secure the future for generations to come.

He expressed strong support for the “ASEAN Vision 2045: Our Shared Future”, and outlined three key priorities for cooperation in the coming period.

First, ASEAN must redefine its development mindset, with inclusiveness as the foundation, innovation as the driving force, and sustainability as the goal. He proposed that relevant ASEAN bodies consider “sustainability” as a core metric when evaluating the effectiveness of 2045 cooperation strategies. This, he suggested, should be measured against three pillars - green economy, inclusive society, and smart governance.

Pham called on the bloc to intensify the mobilization of resources from both the public and private sectors to advance digital transformation, science-technology, and innovation as well as to develop region-wide initiatives capable of inspiring broader participation from ASEAN's external partners.

Second, he emphasized the need for ASEAN to strengthen its connectivity role, expand linkages beyond the region, and diversify products, markets, and supply chains. The Vietnamese leader welcomed the multiplying of such formats as the ASEAN–Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the ASEAN–GCC–China Economic Summit to other promising partners, including the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Pacific Alliance.

He suggested ASEAN should have a strong collective voice in support of free, fair, and inclusive trade principles, and uphold multilateralism, expressing confidence that the accession of Timor-Leste as a full ASEAN member would contribute significantly to the bloc’s resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability.

Third, ASEAN must maintain its centrality and strengthen regional resilience, said the Vietnamese Prime Minister, adding that the success of the bloc depends on its capacity to preserve independent strategic space and autonomy in policy implementation.

He stressed that ASEAN’s centrality must be asserted not just in name, but through action – by safeguarding its strategic autonomy, promoting intra-bloc consensus, and enhancing its capacity to proactively adapt to external shocks.

In light of growing transnational criminal threats, Pham announced Viet Nam's proposal to draft an ASEAN declaration aimed at enhancing cooperation in the apprehension of wanted criminals. He also expressed his hope for the support of other member states regarding the initiative.

The Government leader voiced confidence that with shared belief and vision, ASEAN will overcome every challenge and strongly advance forward. Viet Nam is committed to remaining a responsible, proactive, and constructive member of the bloc, ready to join ASEAN in building a community that is more united, resilient, proactive, inclusive, and sustainable, both for today and for the future, he stated./.