The trip is made at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., ASEAN Chair in 2026.

Accompanying the Prime Minister are Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Dang Xuan Phong; Deputy Minister of National Defense, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau; Deputy Minister of Public Security, Senior Lieutenant General Le Van Tuyen; Deputy Chairman of the Government Office Don Tuan Phong; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of Vietnam’s ASEAN SOM Dang Hoang Giang; Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang; and Assistant to the Prime Minister Tran Anh Tuan.

Also joining the delegation are Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Lai Thai Binh and Ambassador, Head of the Vietnamese Mission to ASEAN Ton Thi Ngoc Huong.

This is Prime Minister Le Minh Hung’s first overseas trip as the new head of government, and also the first multilateral conference he has attended in person.

His participation in the summit strongly reflects Vietnam’s continued and consistent implementation of an independent, self-reliant, peaceful, friendly, cooperative and development-oriented foreign policy, while diversifying and multilateralizing external relations in the spirit of the 14th National Party Congress.

It also reaffirms that ASEAN remains a top strategic priority in Vietnam’s overall foreign policy. The trip sends a clear message about Vietnam’s commitment to the ASEAN Community-building process, with a proactive, positive and responsible spirit, as well as substantive and effective contributions to ASEAN’s common work.

This year’s summit is themed “Navigating our shared future.” It is the first annual summit under the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairmanship and carries special significance as ASEAN officially enters a new stage of development after 10 years of building the ASEAN Community in the 2015-2025 period.

Within the framework of the summit and related meetings, the theme will be discussed around three major priorities: the foundation of peace and security; corridors of prosperity; and empowering people.

For the first time, 11 heads of state or government will attend, following Timor-Leste’s admission in 2025.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung is expected to hold meetings with leaders of ASEAN countries to consolidate friendship, strengthen political trust and promote practical and effective cooperation. These will also be his first in-person meetings with ASEAN leaders in his new capacity.

Speaking to the press, Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III said the Philippines expects the summit to adopt the “Cebu Protocol” to amend the Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

According to the ambassador, ASEAN countries are facing new challenges this year. For that reason, foreign ministers discussed global regional conflicts and their impact on the region’s economic growth and development from the beginning of the year.

Amid continuing conflicts around the world, the ambassador said he expects these discussions to be elevated to a higher level - among heads of state and government.

He noted that one of ASEAN’s strengths lies in the diversity of its member states. Each country has its own strengths to contribute to common discussions, while also learning from others to overcome its own limitations.

Regarding Vietnam, the ambassador praised its impressive economic growth over the years and said he hoped Vietnam would share experience that could help the region sustain growth and economic development amid the challenges facing ASEAN.

He also spoke highly of Vietnam’s persistent promotion of multilateralism and respect for international law.

Tran Thuong