Prime Minister Le Minh Hung outlines three key proposals at 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu
WVR - On the morning of May 8, at the Mactan Expo Convention Center in Cebu, Philippines, the opening ceremony and plenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit took place. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and the high-level Vietnamese delegation attended these events.
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| Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and ASEAN delegation heads attend the opening session of the 48th ASEAN Summit. (Source: VNA) |
In his opening remarks, President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos emphasized the significant importance of the Summit as ASEAN enters a new development phase based on the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
Particularly in the context of the current complex international situation, the Summit serves as an important occasion for ASEAN leaders to share assessments and practical measures to help ASEAN and each member country address multidimensional challenges.
The President highlighted the Philippines' commitment, as the ASEAN Chair in 2026, to continue working with member countries to strengthen solidarity, enhance resilience, promote centrality, foster mutual support, and increase coordination among member countries and with partners to effectively address challenges, maintain cooperation momentum, and realize the goals set out in the ASEAN Community Vision.
During the plenary session immediately following the opening ceremony, ASEAN leaders shared assessments of the negative impacts of complex geopolitical developments worldwide, especially the conflict in the Middle East, on peace, stability, international energy supply chains, and the threat to civilian lives. The leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, and key principles of promoting dialogue and peaceful resolution based on international law and the United Nations Charter.
The leaders also shared and supported the Philippines' directions and priorities for ASEAN cooperation in 2026 under the theme "Steering a Shared Future" with three major focuses: cooperation to address non-traditional challenges as an anchor for regional peace and stability; using economic connectivity, digitalization, inclusive and sustainable development as drivers for the prosperity corridor; and placing ASEAN people at the center of Community development.
ASEAN leaders also emphasized that, in the current context, ASEAN countries need to continue strengthening solidarity, centrality, enhancing and expanding cooperation with partners, and boosting and improving the effectiveness of implementing cooperation plans and programs, especially in ensuring energy security, food security, economic stability, supply chain assurance, and supporting ASEAN people.
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| Prime Minister Le Minh Hung attends the plenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit. (Source: VNA) |
Speaking at the plenary session, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung affirmed Vietnam's support and commitment to cooperate with the Philippines Chair and member countries to realize the priorities and initiatives of the Philippines in 2026.
The Prime Minister emphasized that in the face of interconnected, multidimensional challenges, the question for ASEAN is not "whether it will be affected?" but "how will ASEAN respond and how will it respond together?". Accordingly, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung proposed three major initiatives:
Firstly, the Prime Minister suggested focusing resources to ensure essential security needs, including energy security, food security, and human security, which involves ratifying and effectively implementing the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement, substantively implementing the ASEAN Energy Cooperation Action Plan for 2026-2030, the ASEAN Power Grid, and the ASEAN Gas Pipeline System; diversifying energy sources, promoting energy transition, enhancing access to green finance and advanced technology; improving the effectiveness of existing food security frameworks and agreements, increasing strategic reserves, and establishing emergency reserve mechanisms specifically for rice and other essential commodities.
The Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam is ready to provide food support in emergency situations, share related experiences with ASEAN member countries, and will continue to closely coordinate with ASEAN member countries in citizen support efforts.
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| Overview of the Plenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit. (Source:VNA) |
The Prime Minister also proposed promoting substantive cooperation to enhance ASEAN's internal capacity and resilience. Accordingly, it is necessary to effectively implement the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and soon complete the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA).
Finally, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung called for strengthening ASEAN coordination and solidarity, which requires improving the effectiveness of inter-sectoral consultation and coordination in emergency situations, as well as continuing to promote the coordinating role of the ASEAN Secretariat to ensure regional commitments are continuously, synchronously, and effectively implemented.
Vietnam's proposals were welcomed and highly appreciated by ASEAN leaders for their content and timeliness. Based on Vietnam's proposals, the Summit discussed and agreed to issue the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Priority Actions to Strengthen Regional Resilience in Response to the Consequences of the Middle East Situation; reflecting ASEAN's political stance on the consequences of the Middle East situation, the leaders' vision positioning ASEAN in the regional structure, and the strategy and common response measures with high actionability and enforceability.
