(VOVWORLD) -Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh put forward three priorities for regional cooperation while delivering a speech at the Plenary Session of the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday morning.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaking at the session.
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In his address at the session, PM Chinh said the world is undergoing unprecedented and unpredictable shifts, marked by growing political polarization and economic fragmentation. In this context, he 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.
PM Chinh outlined three key priorities for future cooperation. First, ASEAN must redefine its development mindset, with inclusiveness as the foundation, innovation as the driving force, and sustainability as the goal.
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 PM recommended ASEAN to have a strong collective voice in support of free, fair, and inclusive trade principles, and uphold multilateralism.
Third, ASEAN must maintain its centrality and strengthen regional resilience, PM Chinh said, adding that the success of the bloc depends on its ability 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.
At the session, the ASEAN leaders adopted the document “ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future”, which encompasses the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and strategic plans across the political-security, economic, socio-cultural, and connectivity pillars, laying a strategic foundation for regional cooperation and integration in the decades to come.
ASEAN leaders agreed to admit Timor-Leste as ASEAN’s 11th member during the 47th ASEAN Summit scheduled for October 2025.