On May 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh joined leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Timor Leste for the opening ceremony, kicking off activities of the 46th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Participating in the summit alongside ASEAN and Timor Leste leaders were ministers and senior officials representing ASEAN’s three community pillars, Timor Leste’s foreign minister and senior officials, the ASEAN Secretary-General, and other stakeholders. The event is expected to welcome around 1,000 delegates and hundreds of domestic and international journalists.

Vietnam’s high-level delegation is attending the summits with a consistent message: to be proactive, responsible, and ready to make greater contributions to ASEAN’s common agenda.

Vietnam aims to join other member countries in shaping strategic directions and concrete measures to further strengthen regional cooperation and elevate ASEAN's global standing in the years ahead.

Under the chairmanship of Malaysia, ASEAN Chair for 2025, the 46th ASEAN Summit and related meetings are held from May 26 to 27 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre under the theme “Inclusive and Sustainable.” Leaders from ASEAN, Timor Leste, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and China are in attendance.

Over the course of 10 sessions, leaders are expected to discuss key strategies and measures to deepen intra-regional cooperation, enhance connectivity with external partners, and strengthen economic resilience. They will also seek new drivers of cooperation amid ongoing regional and global uncertainties.

Key priorities include reinforcing ASEAN's central role in building strategic trust through dialogue, diplomacy, and goodwill; expanding meaningful cooperation with external partners; achieving inclusive and sustainable growth by boosting intra-regional trade and investment, enhancing economic linkages with partners, integrating markets and supply chains, promoting green finance and investment, and advancing digital resilience. Additionally, the discussions will focus on building a cohesive community, reducing development gaps and inequality, improving people’s quality of life, and mitigating the impact of climate change.

The summits are especially significant as they provide an opportunity for leaders to exchange views, evaluate progress, and align on strategic cooperation directions to maintain ASEAN’s momentum, enhance responsiveness, and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

On May 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is scheduled to attend the Plenary Session and the Retreat Session of the 46th ASEAN Summit, as well as dialogues with representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), ASEAN youth, and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC). He will also participate in several key bilateral and multilateral engagements.

Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos Prime Ministers hold working breakfast

On the morning of May 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a working breakfast with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur.

In a warm and open atmosphere, the three Prime Ministers exchanged views on areas of common interest and international and regional matters. They acknowledged that all three countries are striving to overcome political, security, and socio-economic challenges driven by global and regional dynamics. The trilateral relationship has witnessed marked qualitative improvements in recent times.

The three governments have promptly coordinated on practical cooperation plans following the high-level meeting of the three Party leaders and other recent senior-level exchanges.

The Prime Ministers agreed that existing bilateral and trilateral mechanisms among Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos have proven effective, especially in the areas of defense, public security, and foreign affairs. Meetings among the three Defense Ministers, three Interior/Public Security Ministers, and three Foreign Ministers are key to translating high-level commitments into concrete outcomes.

They emphasized that strategic trust and shared vision are the foundation for long-term sustainable cooperation, particularly in connecting the three countries across trade, finance, education, culture, and people-to-people ties.

The leaders agreed to promote joint development in border areas by prioritizing infrastructure connectivity, energy cooperation, trade facilitation, digital transformation, human resource development, and maximizing the efficiency of land border crossings to boost cross-border trade and socio-economic growth. They also agreed to explore the creation of cross-border economic zones, revise and improve existing agreements, and work toward raising bilateral trade between Vietnam and Laos to USD 5 billion, and between Vietnam and Cambodia to USD 20 billion. They reaffirmed their commitment to the “Three countries, one destination” tourism initiative and pledged to coordinate with Thailand on regional transport connectivity projects.

The three leaders recognized that the security of one country is tied to the interests of the others. They reaffirmed cooperation to maintain political stability, security, and public order, and preserve peaceful and friendly borders. They also committed to enhancing efforts against cross-border crimes and illegal migration.

They stressed the need to preserve and promote the tradition of solidarity and mutual support among Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, especially in light of past sacrifices. This unity is essential for advancing trilateral cooperation. They agreed to maintain regular high-level exchanges and prioritize new outreach strategies that highlight the historical value and achievements of trilateral relations, especially among youth, parliamentarians, and broader communities.

To that end, the three Prime Ministers pledged to closely direct ministries, agencies, and localities to implement agreed cooperation programs and explore the creation of new mechanisms to boost effectiveness and unity.

They also agreed to expand cooperation in education, training, tourism, culture, science, and technology, with Vietnam offering to increase the number of high-quality scholarships for students from Laos and Cambodia.

The leaders reaffirmed the importance of mutual consultation on regional and international issues of shared concern, including the South China Sea and the situation in Myanmar. They pledged to work together on upcoming major national events in each country.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh conveyed letters from General Secretary To Lam to Lao President and Party General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith, and Cambodian People's Party President and Senate President Hun Sen, inviting them to attend Vietnam’s 80th National Day celebration.

TTXVN