Phnom Penh (VNA) - The ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) is a visionary initiative of Vietnam that provides a valuable platform for collective reflection on the region’s future while demonstrating the country’s active role and responsibility in shaping discussions on regional development, according to a Cambodian expert.
Dr. Kin Phea, Director General of the Cambodian Institute for International Relations (CIIR) under the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), praised the forum as a forward-looking initiative that reflects Vietnam’s commitment to fostering dialogue on the future of Southeast Asia. He noted that this year’s event was particularly significant as both the region and the world are facing increasingly rapid and unpredictable changes.
From the perspective of a political and geopolitical analyst, Dr. Kin Phea observed that the world is witnessing intensifying strategic competition among major powers, shifts in the global order, and a growing range of non-traditional security challenges, including climate change, food security, energy security, pandemics and cybersecurity threats. Such issues cannot be effectively addressed by any single country and require stronger regional and multilateral cooperation, he said.
Against this backdrop, the AFF in Hanoi provided an important platform for leaders, policymakers, scholars and representatives of the private sector to exchange views and explore innovative ideas to ensure that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remains relevant, resilient and capable of responding to future challenges.
The 2026 forum marked the first time that high-level leaders from five ASEAN member states, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Timor-Leste, participated and delivered policy speeches, alongside the ASEAN Secretary-General and representatives of the United Nations.
The expert expressed particular appreciation for Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s messages, describing them as a practical and forward-looking diplomatic vision that reflected strategic mindset, especially regarding the people-centred approach emphasised throughout the AFF 2026.
Regarding Cambodia–Vietnam relations in the broader regional context, Dr. Kin Phea said the two neighbouring countries can work more closely together to strengthen ASEAN's unity, cohesion and centrality. He emphasised that both countries should continue supporting ASEAN’s central role in the evolving regional architecture.
The expert also underscored the need for Cambodia and Vietnam to deepen cooperation in addressing non-traditional security challenges, including Mekong River water resource management, climate change, transnational crime and cybersecurity, and promote economic connectivity and sustainable development to ensure that ASEAN citizens benefit more directly from regional integration./.
VNA
