The 18 th International Conference on the Future of Asia opened in Tokyo , Japan on May 24, discussing challenges facing the Asian region and prospects for regional cooperation in the future.

A Vietnamese delegation led by Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan attended the two-day conference, themed “ Asia ’s Role in a Tumultuous World – In Search of a New Growth Model”.

Speaking at the event, jointly held by Japan ’s Nikkei newspaper and the Japan Centre for Economic Research, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said that countries are facing challenges in the fields of politics, economics and environment.

According to the ASEAN leader, to set up the ASEAN Community in 2015, ASEAN cannot act unilaterally but needs to cooperate with other countries, including Japan .

Japan Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba stressed the importance of building a new stable and prosperous order based on democratic values in the Asia-Pacific region, with two main pillars: network diplomacy and high-quality society through strengthening and expanding the middle class.

Participants at the conference also discussed such topics as prospects for Asia regarding challenges and solutions for the global economy, science’s role in Asia’s future and changes in the balance of power in Asia-Pacific and the impacts on regional security.-VNA