Unlike other known forums, this is a forum exclusively for ASEAN, of ASEAN, and for the people of ASEAN where all stakeholders, including government leaders, scholars and businesses, share new and creative ideas in formulating ASEAN’s strategies and visions in the coming time, contributing to bringing practical benefits to the people of ASEAN, said Viet.

He revealed that nearly 400 delegates have registered to take part in the Hanoi forum. Particularly among them will be Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Brunei Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof and ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will have recorded messages to the forum.

In addition, many leading regional and international scholars have also confirmed participation, including former Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will send a recorded message to the forum.

A summary of opinions to be exchanged at the forum will be sent to ASEAN Foreign Ministers and senior ASEAN leaders. Proposals will be forwarded to the United Nations as one of the bloc’s contributions to the coming UN Summit of the Future this September.

The forum will include one opening session and two plenary sessions, as well as other activities. The opening session will feature participation and speeches from high-level leaders of Vietnam, current and incoming ASEAN Chair countries, the ASEAN Secretary-General, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Plenary session one, titled "ASEAN’s Rapid Development for a Sustainable Future", will feature discussions on fostering a future for the ASEAN community. The second plenary session will discuss ensuring comprehensive security for a people-centred ASEAN Community.

There will also be two parallel working lunch sessions on the themes "Repositioning ASEAN's central role" and "Seizing development opportunities in the Digital Age."

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, rapid, sustainable and people-centered development is an issue of common concern of the world and all ASEAN countries. This is a basic and essential need of ASEAN amidst many economic difficulties as well as non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, natural disasters or epidemics, supply chain disruptions.

To this end, the forum will examine how to achieve harmony between development and environmental protection, respond to climate change, ensure social security, as well as to place people at the center of all development decisions of each country and the region as a whole.

Toward the theme of rapid and sustainable development, Viet said issues related to economic cooperation, investment and trade with the participation of businesses will be discussed at the forum.

The session will give businesses the chance to exchange and share advantages, difficulties as well as opportunities in the context of digital transformation, and to connect and build new networks.

The organisation of the forum once again demonstrates Vietnam’s desire to contribute more actively to regional cooperation and promote the country’s role in cooperation on a global scale, stressed the Deputy Foreign Minister.

VOV