The Association of Southeast Asian Nations should not merely participate in global trends, but help shape them, said Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung at the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum held in Hanoi on Tuesday.

In an increasingly fragmented and competitive world, ASEAN must play a stronger role in shaping emerging norms, rules and frameworks for cooperation, and in addressing differences on the basis of international law, Hung said while addressing the forum's opening session, according to the Viet Nam Government Portal.

"ASEAN should become a center for dialogue, a focal point for cooperation, and an anchor of trust," he said.

Under the theme "Shaping a Shared Future Together: Peace, Prosperity, and People-Centered", the two-day forum was attended by more than 500 government officials, academics, business executives, and representatives from regional and international organizations.

In his speech, the Vietnamese prime minister stressed the role of ASEAN as an indispensable link in global supply chains. He added that the bloc should not only be a manufacturing hub but also a hub of innovation in the digital age.

The forum also saw the participation of heads of government from several ASEAN member states, including Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao.

Both Hun Manet and Anutin called for enhanced efforts to address the border dispute between the two countries.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said the recent developments in the Middle East serve as a stark reminder that in an interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to its place of origin.

Kao said the developments have exposed ASEAN's vulnerabilities to global shocks through the "5Fs" — fuel, food, fertilizer, finance, and foreign workers.

"The lesson for ASEAN is clear: Resilience can no longer be viewed solely through the lens of security or economics alone," said Kao. "It must encompass our energy systems, food networks, financial buffers, supply chains, the mobility and welfare of our workforce, and societal resilience in the digital age."

Kao also noted that ASEAN's challenge is not the absence of frameworks, but rather, ensuring that the frameworks are operational, effective, and responsive to the evolving realities.

The forum's concept was proposed by Vietnam at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in 2023.

This is the first major high-level multilateral diplomatic event hosted by Vietnam following the conclusion of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the 16th National Assembly elections, and the consolidation of key party and state leadership.

Earlier on Monday, a dialogue on the role of Southeast Asian political parties in building the ASEAN Community was held as part of the forum.

In the first-ever exchange among political parties across the region, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung said stronger interparty cooperation is needed as a strategic imperative to help ASEAN overcome challenges, preserve unity and maintain its strategic autonomy.

Strengthening ASEAN solidarity and resilience is particularly important at a time of intensifying competition among major powers, Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the National Institute of International Strategy under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Vietnam News Agency.