During a meeting with the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Tanaka Akihiko, Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng proposed more flexible and preferential ODA loans for projects in key sectors, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, digital and green transformation, energy, infrastructure, disaster prevention, and workforce development.
During a meeting with the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Tanaka Akihiko, Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng proposed more flexible and preferential ODA loans for projects in key sectors, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, digital and green transformation, energy, infrastructure, disaster prevention, and workforce development.
As ASEAN prepares to implement its Community Vision 2045, the bloc faces a more complex strategic environment marked by geopolitical competition, economic fragmentation and a growing range of non-traditional security challenges. Joanne Lin, Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS, Singapore, shares her insights on ASEAN's relevance, resilience and centrality in a rapidly changing regional landscape.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2026 (AFF 2026) has brought together regional leaders, experts and international partners to discuss some of the most pressing challenges facing the region today. The forum serves as a platform for ASEAN and its dialogue partners to strengthen cooperation and coordinate responses to geopolitical, economic and technological developments shaping the future of the region.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum on 9 June, Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm held meetings with the leaders of Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, reaffirming Việt Nam’s commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and strategic partnerships. The discussions focused on enhancing political trust, expanding economic and connectivity cooperation, and promoting closer coordination on regional and international issues.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming industries across Southeast Asia, from healthcare and agriculture to finance and public services. At AFF 2026, experts discussed how the region can accelerate AI adoption while ensuring that no country is left behind.
Conflict prevention has emerged as an important focus at the ASEAN Future Forum 2026. As the regional security environment becomes increasingly complex, with long-standing disputes and emerging challenges, policymakers, scholars, and experts gathered to explore more proactive and adaptive approaches to preventing conflict.