Vietnam has demonstrated excellent organisational capacity and effectively guided multilateral discussions on peace and innovation.

These are among the assessments made by international friends of the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) and Vietnam’s role and standing.

Having directly participated in and accompanied President José Ramos-Horta during his keynote address at last year’s forum, Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Vietnam João Pereira said a notable feature of the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2026 is the expansion of discussions to include representatives of political parties and city leaders from across the region, thereby creating diverse dialogues between ASEAN leaders and partners.

The ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) is a dialogue platform that draws representatives from various channels and promotes forward-looking thinking in dealing with long-term challenges such as security, digital transformation and sustainable development, João Pereira stressed.

According to the Timorese Ambassador, the forum serves as a strong platform for bringing together visions, policies and strategies, helping leaders jointly establish commitments to the ASEAN Vision 2045 and proactively respond to current regional and global uncertainties.

Sharing a similar view, Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III said that while traditional conferences often focus on addressing current issues, the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) is tasked with discussing what lies ahead. He added that Vietnam’s hosting of the forum has affirmed Vietnam’s increasingly important position at multilateral forums.

Vietnam’s continued hosting of the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) underscores its leadership role and places an important responsibility on leaders to seriously consider the bloc’s future trajectory over the next 10 to 20 years, especially now that Timor-Leste has become ASEAN’s 11th member, the Philippine ambassador went on.

According to the ambassador, the ASEAN Future Forum will further strengthen ASEAN’s strategic forecasting capacity, which has already been demonstrated through the establishment of legal frameworks for energy sharing and power grid connectivity amid recent global developments. He also highlighted mutual trust, affirming that ASEAN’s strength lies in its unity and that no country should face difficulties alone-values that will continue to be emphasised at this year’s forum.

Speaking highly of the open and inclusive dialogue space created by Vietnam, Thai Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya said she was particularly impressed by the theme of the 2026 forum, “Shaping Our Shared Future Together: Peace, Prosperity and People-Centred Development.” She noted that the theme is highly relevant in the current context, as people need to be placed at the centre of all development processes.

The Thai Ambassador also welcomed Hanoi’s role in hosting the ASEAN Cities Leadership Conference for the first time. According to the ambassador, Hanoi is well positioned, having made significant progress in urban modernisation and digital governance while preserving its long-standing cultural identity.

The event demonstrates Vietnam’s commitment to promoting practical cooperation among cities and delivering direct benefits to people in the years ahead.

ASEAN Future Forum 2026 seen through international perspectives

VOV.VN - The ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2026 shows Vietnam’s active role in ASEAN, moving from participation to shaping ASEAN’s strategic agenda.

ASEAN Future Forum 2026 affirms Vietnam’s standing: Lao Deputy FM

Lao Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Phongsavan Sisoulat has underscored the significance of the ASEAN Future Forum 2026, touting Vietnam’s role in bolstering the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)'s centrality and amplifying the bloc’s voice for peace and stability across the region and beyond.