img4964 17781323674091531400215.jpg
The welcoming ceremony for Prime Minister Le Minh Hung at Mactan-Cebu International Airport in the Philippines. Photo: Nhat Bac

Welcoming Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and the delegation at the airport were Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Oban Jr.; Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro; Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Cindi King-Chan; and representatives of the ASEAN Summit organizing committee.

On the Vietnamese side were Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Lai Thai Binh; Ambassador and Head of the Vietnamese Mission to ASEAN Ton Thi Ngoc Huong; and officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines.

At the summit, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung is expected to deliver important remarks, conveying the foreign policy message of the 14th National Party Congress and Vietnam’s views on ASEAN priorities. He will also put forward practical proposals to strengthen the ASEAN Community-building process, help enhance ASEAN’s resilience and response capacity amid global changes, especially the impacts of developments in the Middle East, and exchange views on regional and international issues of shared concern.

lê minh hưng

Photo: Nhat Bac

The Prime Minister will also hold meetings and exchanges with leaders of other countries to consolidate friendship, strengthen political trust and promote substantive and effective cooperation. These will be his first in-person meetings with ASEAN leaders in his new capacity, helping create positive momentum for bilateral relations as well as the broader cohesion of the ASEAN Community.

The 48th ASEAN Summit is being held in Cebu, the Philippines, from May 7 to 8, with the participation of leaders of ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretary-General. It is one of two regular annual meetings of ASEAN leaders in 2026, offering an important opportunity for leaders to share comprehensive assessments of global and regional developments, agree on strategic orientations and measures to strengthen ASEAN cooperation.

The summit focuses on three areas: ensuring energy security, food security and the protection of ASEAN citizens. It also reaffirms the continued promotion of key strategic priorities, including stronger intra-bloc connectivity, enhanced resilience, strategic autonomy and ASEAN centrality, while maintaining momentum in building the Community in line with the goals and plans of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

Tran Thuong