- Prime Minister Le Minh Hung,
- Excellencies Prime Ministers
- ASEAN Secretary General,
- Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for inviting me to the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum and for the warm hospitality.
I also wish to commend Viet Nam’s initiative in convening this important Forum.
In a short period of time, the ASEAN Future Forum has become a vital platform for candid, strategic, and forward-looking exchanges on some of the most critical issues facing our region and the world. This Forum allows us to assess the challenges before us and explore practical pathways forward through dialogue, cooperation, and shared responsibility.
The theme of this Forum, “Shaping Our Future Together: Peace, Prosperity, People-Centered”, is both timely and necessary.
To talk about the future, we need to firstly make a sober assessment of the current state of world affairs, which affects peace, security and sustainable development.
On this note, I wish to echo the assessment made by His Excellency To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, delivered at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue. He concisely described the three pertinent crises, namely the crisis of international order, the crisis of development models, and the crisis of strategic trust.
Building on a similar assessment, for this particular platform, I wish to reflect on three important issues related to Peace, Economy and People.
First, on Peace.
In the past, Southeast Asia was a region marked by conflict, mistrust, ideological division, and poverty. Through dialogue, confidence-building, respect for sovereignty, non-interference, and peaceful settlement of disputes as enshrined in the Charter, ASEAN gradually transformed our region into one of the most stable and dynamic regions in the world.
This transformation did not happen by chance. It was the result of deliberate choices by our leaders and peoples: to choose dialogue over confrontation, cooperation over division, and shared progress over rivalry.
Today, however, peace cannot be taken for granted.
Across the world, we continue to witness the devastating consequences of armed conflicts and violence. Conflicts today are rarely contained within the territories where they begin. Modern conflicts are also multidimensional.
The ongoing tensions in the Middle East are a clear example. Beyond undermining peace and stability across the region, they have disrupted the movement of critical resources, particularly oil and gas, and contributed to rising energy costs, higher food prices, supply chain pressures, and uncertainty in global markets.
The full consequences are still unfolding, but one thing is already clear: instability anywhere increasingly affects prosperity everywhere.
- Excellencies, Distinguished Guests
Closer to home, the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand continues to hold, but it is fragile. Cambodia remains concerned by the situation on the ground in the occupied areas well inside Cambodian territory. Borders and sovereignty must never be altered by force or fait accompli.
Both Cambodia and Thailand have clearly expressed the commitment to peaceful resolution and the transformation of the existing ceasefire into permanent peace. In particular, both sides continue to express adherence to the Joint Statement of 27 December 2025.
Therefore, both sides need to fully, effectively, and urgently implement the Joint Statement in its entirety, in particular Point 3, which calls for the prompt resumption of the survey and demarcation works by JBC in accordance with existing agreements.
Cambodia continues to attach great importance to its relationship with Thailand, a close neighbour with a common commitment to peace, prosperity in our region.
Steadfast adherence to international law and existing treaties and agreements, as well as dialogue, good faith, and mutual respect, are key and essential to ensure that sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international boundaries are respected, thereby restoring trust, securing lasting peace, and enabling displaced populations to return home safely and with dignity and restore normal livelihoods.
Cambodia’s recent decision to initiate Compulsory Conciliation under UNCLOS demonstrates our sincere desire to seek a fair and lasting solution firmly grounded in international law. Thailand’s expressed preparations to engage in this facilitated process under UNCLOS is a welcoming step towards a peaceful resolution of the overlapping maritime claims area.
This resolution is in the shared interest of both countries, and contributes to peace and stability of the region.
In this spirit, Cambodia sincerely appreciates the support of the international community, including ASEAN member countries, for the ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand in accordance with international law and the principles of the UN and ASEAN Charters. Cambodia looks forward to their continued attention and support.
Second, on the Economy.
The world is currently so overwhelmed by multiple and successive crises that the issue of sustainable development has become less visible on the international stage. In fact, we are witnessing a reversing course of development for small states that have relied heavily on peace, openness, international trade, and a rules-based international order to gradually climb the development ladder.
In discussing the future of the ASEAN’s economy, we cannot forget the importance of safeguarding the achievements that ASEAN has made together in building a more integrated ASEAN Economic Community.
The idea that a single member state can be fully self-sufficient in its entire supply chain is wishful thinking.
For the sake of the future of the ASEAN’s economy, we shall not dismantle and disengage the system that has brought about shared economic opportunity for the whole Community. In this sense, ASEAN must:
- Continue to champion a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based multilateral trading system, with WTO at its core.
- Optimize the existing free trade agreements through upgrading, and full and effective implementation.
- Further deepen regional integration.
- Invest in the sectors that will define the future of growth, including artificial intelligence, digital transformation, green transition, resilient supply chains, blue economy, creative economy, science, technology, and innovation.
Third, on People.
In every policy we make, as we pursue growth, we must always remember that prosperity is meaningful only when it serves the people.
Ultimately, neither peace nor prosperity is an end in itself. Their true value lies in improving the lives, dignity, security, and opportunities of our citizens.
ASEAN’s achievements should not be measured only by GDP, trade volumes, or investment flows. They should also be measured by whether our people live better, safer, healthier, and more hopeful lives.
Over the past decades, ASEAN has helped lift millions of people out of poverty, expand access to education and healthcare, improve connectivity, create jobs, increase people-to-people exchanges, and support the emergence of a growing middle class.
Yet, as expectations rise and challenges become more complex, ASEAN must continue to deliver more effectively for its people.
This requires ASEAN to continue strengthening its community-building efforts across all pillars.
One important aspect in building a harmonious and caring community is the promotion of mutual understanding between citizens of member states. Lack of such mutual understanding weakens bonds of friendship, defense for peaceful coexistence and good neighborliness, and a cohesive sense of community.
Furthermore, mutual mistrust allows narrow nationalism, populism, revisionism, and divisive narratives to gain power at the expense of community building.
To resist this dangerous tide, ASEAN must expand robust youth and academic exchanges, cultural cooperation, economic engagement, media partnerships and other interactions. This will ensure current and future generations better understand one another.
- Excellencies, Distinguished Guests
ASEAN’s experience has shown that Peace creates the conditions for prosperity, and prosperity must ultimately serve the people.
This is the essence of shaping our future together.
In an increasingly uncertain world, ASEAN must remain united, resilient, outward-looking, and confident in its ability to shape its own destiny.
We must continue to uphold the principles that have guided our success: respect for sovereignty, peaceful settlement of disputes, dialogue, cooperation, inclusiveness, and shared responsibility.
This will enable ASEAN to remain a force of stability, an epicenter of growth, and as region of opportunity and hope./.
