---
title: 'Vietnam Calls for More Active ASEAN Role in Global Affairs'
url: 'https://thediplomaticinsight.com/vietnam-calls-more-active-asean-role-global-affairs/'
author: 'News Desk'
date: '2026-06-10T17:48:23+05:00'
categories:
  - 'Southeast Asia'
  - 'World'
tags:
  - 'ASEAN'
  - 'Cooperation'
  - 'international law'
  - 'Le Minh'
  - 'Vietnam'
---

# Vietnam Calls for More Active ASEAN Role in Global Affairs

**Hanoi (TDI):** ASEAN should not remain a passive participant in global developments but must take a more active role in shaping international trends and cooperation frameworks, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung said on Tuesday at the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum in Hanoi.

Speaking at the opening session of the two-day event, Hung said that in an increasingly fragmented and competitive global environment, ASEAN needs to strengthen its influence in setting emerging norms, rules, and mechanisms for cooperation. He stressed that differences should be managed in accordance with international law.

He added that ASEAN should evolve into a “center for dialogue, a focal point for cooperation, and an anchor of trust,” according to the Viet Nam Government Portal.

Held under the theme “Shaping a Shared Future Together: Peace, Prosperity, and People-Centered,” the forum brought together more than 500 participants, including government officials, academics, business leaders, and representatives from regional and international organizations.

The Vietnamese prime minister also highlighted ASEAN’s importance as a key link in global supply chains, saying the bloc should move beyond being a manufacturing hub to becoming a center of innovation in the digital era.

**Read More: [Vietnamese President Highlights ASEAN Centrality at Shangri-La Dialogue](https://thediplomaticinsight.com/vietnamese-president-highlights-asean-centrality-at-shangri-la-dialogue/)**

The forum was attended by several regional leaders, including Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao.

During the discussions, Hun Manet and Anutin both emphasized the need for greater efforts to resolve ongoing border tensions between their countries.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn warned that recent developments in the Middle East highlight how global crises no longer remain geographically contained, stressing their wider impact on interconnected economies and societies.

He said ASEAN is exposed to external shocks through what he described as the “5Fs” fuel, food, fertilizer, finance, and foreign workers.

Kao added that resilience can no longer be defined only in security or economic terms, but must also include energy systems, food supply chains, financial stability, labour mobility, and digital-era societal resilience.

**Read More: [ASEAN Leaders Meet to Discuss Iran War Impact on Energy and Economy](https://thediplomaticinsight.com/asean-leaders-discuss-iran-war-impact-on-energy-economy/)**

He further noted that ASEAN’s main challenge is not the lack of frameworks, but ensuring that existing mechanisms are effectively implemented and responsive to changing realities.

The idea for the ASEAN Future Forum was first proposed by Vietnam during the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in 2023. The event also marks Vietnam’s first major multilateral diplomatic engagement following recent political milestones, including the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party, national assembly elections, and leadership consolidation.