The event is expected to bring together regional leaders, policymakers, and partners to discuss the future of ASEAN amid a rapidly evolving strategic landscape.
Ahead of the forum, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted the importance of maintaining ASEAN’s central role in regional affairs.
Referring to General Secretary and State President To Lam’s keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026, he noted that ASEAN centrality must be continuously strengthened through unity, strategic autonomy, and the bloc’s ability to shape a common regional agenda.
Mr. Cuong said that AFF 2026 will serve as a platform for ASEAN and its partners to explore ways to preserve the bloc’s relevance and influence while ensuring that new regional initiatives complement, rather than weaken, ASEAN’s central role.
Vietnam’s continued organization of the forum reflects its proactive and responsible contribution to regional peace, stability, and sustainable development.
