Vietnam is hosting the 90th meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation in Da Nang from October 13 to 15, bringing together regional officials and experts to advance research cooperation and emerging technologies.

The fourth ASEAN–China Justice Forum opened in the central city of Da Nang on October 10, focusing on strengthening regional judicial cooperation amid international integration and the digital era.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung hosted a reception in Hanoi on September 30 for heads of delegations from ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat attending the ASEAN Law Enforcement High-level Conference on Cooperation in Combating Criminal Fugitives.

Senior law enforcement officials from across Southeast Asia gathered in Hanoi to strengthen cooperation in tracking wanted criminals as transnational crime poses growing challenges to the region. 

Vietnam became the fastest-growing auto market among six major Southeast Asian economies in the first half of 2026, with sales up 31.1% as electric and hybrid vehicles gained ground.

Vietnam is taking part in Exercise Trident Resolve 2026, a multinational ADMM+ field exercise on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, military medicine and cybersecurity, which opened in Cilegon, Indonesia, on September 22.

Vietnam plans to connect its national digital identification application VNeID with the electronic identification systems of Singapore and Laos, with a view to expanding the connection to other ASEAN countries.

Vietnam supports the humanitarian goals of international conventions banning cluster munitions and anti-personnel mines, as well as efforts to prevent their indiscriminate use, a Vietnamese official said at a conference in Vientiane on September 14.

Vietnam aims to rank among ASEAN’s top three countries in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030.

Initiatives put forth at the ASEAN Law Forum 2026 should be soon translated into regional cooperation frameworks and concrete actions toward a modern legal ecosystem for a resilient, innovative and prosperous ASEAN Community.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said nearly six decades of dialogue, mutual respect and a drive to find common ground have forged the strength that carried the bloc through crises and kept regional peace and stability intact.

The fourth edition of the ASEAN Film Festival (AFF) will take place in Hong Kong (China) from August 20, with Vietnamese cinema represented by the film “The Sound of Crossing the Sea”.

Since joining ASEAN in 1995, Vietnam has consistently regarded the bloc as a cornerstone of its foreign policy, actively engaging in all three ASEAN Community pillars and cooperation mechanisms.

The HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) on August 7 held a gathering to celebrate the 59th founding anniversary of ASEAN (August 8, 1967–2026), highlighting friendship and solidarity among the people of ASEAN member states.

Vietnam will continue to serve as a positive factor in helping shape major strategic shifts and the future development of ASEAN, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung has affirmed.

The Vietnamese delegation proposed making energy security and transition a pillar of ASEAN-Canada relations, and urged Canada to support the implementation of the ASEAN Power Grid and expand cooperation in renewable energy.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung proposed that ASEAN–UK cooperation shift its focus from growth to enhancing resilience, self-reliance and innovation on the basis of increasingly strengthened mutual trust.

VN maintained its position as the fastest-growing economy in ASEAN in the first half of 2026, with international experts forecasting that VN will outperform earlier expectations, supported by strong FDI, manufacturing and international trade.

Vietnam will accelerate efforts to connect its VNeID digital identity platform with Singapore and other ASEAN countries as part of a broader push to strengthen digital transformation and cross-border digital services.