Vietnam has urged for enhanced collaboration between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United States in key areas such as trade, artificial intelligence, digital technology, and energy transition. This call was made during the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with the US held in Manila. Vietnamese Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung emphasized the importance of these partnerships, welcoming the US commitment to peace, stability, and development in the region. He pushed for the swift finalization of a new comprehensive work program between the two sides.
Minister Trung highlighted the potential for expanded cooperation in critical sectors, including trade and investment, the digital economy, semiconductors, science and technology, and regional energy connectivity. He also appealed for sustained US support for the Mekong sub-region, specifically in water management, climate change adaptation, infrastructure development, and workforce training. Trung underlined the need for peace and dispute resolution through dialogue and international law, reinforcing ASEAN’s stance on the South China Sea and calling for a rules-based regional order centered on ASEAN.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the strategic and economic significance of Southeast Asia to Washington, pledging ongoing US investment in supply chains, the digital economy, and energy security. He also mentioned plans to bolster power-grid connectivity and civil nuclear cooperation. Both ASEAN and the United States agreed to deepen economic ties, promote collaboration in high-value industries, and enhance people-to-people exchanges. Furthermore, they committed to improving coordination in addressing challenges such as terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and online scams.
Turning attention to developments in the Middle East, Trung called for increased dialogue and the restoration of safe maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz. He stressed the significance of protecting freedom of navigation under international law, underscoring the broader implications for regional and global security. The discussions reflect a shared commitment to fostering a stable and prosperous future through strengthened ASEAN-US relations.