Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc: Close collaboration among ASEAN cities is essential
WVR - Conference "ASEAN Cities Leaders: Driving the Future from Smart, Sustainable, and Connected Cities" was held in Hanoi as part of the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum.
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| Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc speaking at the ASEAN Cities Leaders Conference. (Photo: Quang Hoa - Thanh Long) |
On the afternoon of June 8, speaking at the conference "ASEAN Cities Leaders: Driving the Future from Smart, Sustainable, and Connected Cities" held in Hanoi as part of the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum (AFF 2026), Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc welcomed the initiative of Hanoi City and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam to organize a conference dedicated to cooperation among cities in the region. The conference is part of efforts to ensure active, inclusive, and sustainable participation of all components in building the ASEAN Community.
According to the Permanent Deputy Prime Minister, ASEAN is entering a pivotal phase to realize the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 amidst profound global changes. Strategic competition is increasing, the rapid development of artificial intelligence and new technologies, and the impacts of non-traditional security require ASEAN to further enhance its resilience. In this context, ASEAN cities, where populations, resources, technology, innovation, and new growth drivers are concentrated, are a foremost important force. The resilience of urban areas is the foundation of national resilience and that of ASEAN as a whole.
Along with significant opportunities, cities in ASEAN are also facing increasingly complex challenges. From climate change, pressure on infrastructure and public services, to the demands of green transition, digital transformation, and the far-reaching impacts of new technologies, these challenges are interdisciplinary and cross-border in nature. ASEAN's goal by 2045 is to build "a Community capable of addressing the challenges of future urbanization by leveraging modern technologies, advanced infrastructure, while promoting the development of smart and sustainable cities".
“To achieve the goal, ASEAN cities cannot act alone but require the close collaboration of all cities in ASEAN. Enhancing connectivity, sharing experiences, mobilizing resources, and promoting substantive cooperation among ASEAN cities should become a key priority,” Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc said.
ASEAN has always been a strategic choice and top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy. After more than 30 years of joining ASEAN, with a proactive and responsible spirit, we have been and always are ready to closely cooperate with member countries to build a prosperous, inclusive, sustainable ASEAN that places ASEAN people at its center.
Vietnam is entering a new era of development with the determination to achieve double-digit growth in the 2026-2030 period. To realize this goal, we are synchronously implementing three strategic breakthroughs, including perfecting institutions, developing high-quality human resources, and building modern infrastructure with urban areas playing a leading role.
The Vietnamese government identifies the development of green, sustainable urban areas, with people at the center, as a consistent strategic direction, closely linked with the priority of regional integration and connectivity. From the practical experience of urban development, Vietnam recognizes that digital transformation, green growth, and regional connectivity are not separate objectives, but mutually supportive pillars aimed at improving the quality of life for people and enhancing resilience against future challenges.
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| Overview of the Conference. (Photo: Quang Hoa - Thanh Long) |
On this basis, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc proposed four major orientations for the Conference:
First, create resilient cities with people at the center. In this, ASEAN cities need to shift from a reactive mindset to proactively planning for the future; from crafting solutions for individual issues to forming ecosystems with high resilience against development challenges.
Second, mobilize and connect resources for urban development. Specifically, to effectively exploit the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan 2026 - 2035, it is necessary to proactively build quality projects, enhance cooperation to access financial resources, technology, knowledge, and governance experience from partners.
Third, build a network of knowledge and innovation among ASEAN cities. One of ASEAN's greatest strengths is its diversity in urban development models and experiences. We have Singapore with a world-leading innovation ecosystem, Luang Prabang balancing development and heritage conservation, the mega-city of Jakarta with tens of millions of residents, to Dili with its young but ambitious journey. We need to turn this diversity into ASEAN's common knowledge through experience sharing, human resource training, pilot cooperation, and implementation of specific projects.
Fourth, turn commitments into action and tangible results. The initiatives discussed today need to be further concretized into cooperation programs with clear objectives, capable of implementation, and bringing practical benefits to the people.
Quoting the saying: “One tree does not make a forest, three trees together make a high mountain,” Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc stressed that the common values that have created ASEAN's strength over nearly six decades are the spirit of solidarity, cooperation, and joint development.
“I believe that with the spirit of cooperation and shared responsibility, ASEAN cities will continue to enhance connectivity, share experiences, and jointly create new development drivers, making practical contributions to building a resilient, sustainable ASEAN Community with people at its center. This spirit needs to be more strongly spread starting from Hanoi today,”Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc emphasized.
