From idea incubators to shaping the future of ASEAN.

Prime Minister Hun Manet's visit takes place amidst the continued strengthening and enhancement of relations between Vietnam and Cambodia in all areas.

Both sides are stepping up the implementation of strategic directions agreed upon by the high-level leaders of the two parties and two countries during General Secretary To Lam's state visit and participation in the high-level meeting of the two parties and three parties in Cambodia last February.

Economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries continues to be a bright spot. In the first four months of 2026, bilateral trade reached US$5.03 billion, an 8% increase compared to the same period in 2025.

Vietnam is Cambodia's third-largest trading partner and its second-largest export market. Vietnam ranks fifth among countries and territories investing in Cambodia.

Defense and security continue to be important pillars in the bilateral cooperation. Both sides effectively implement cooperation activities within the framework of the annual cooperation plan between the Ministries of Defense of the two countries, and between the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia and the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, thereby contributing to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment in both countries and the region.

Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's visit took place as Vietnam and Thailand celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Notably, this visit followed closely after the visit to Thailand at the end of May by General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife.

This is a very concrete and vivid manifestation of Thailand's appreciation for bilateral cooperation with Vietnam, as well as the Thai government's desire and determination to further promote the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

On the Thai Prime Minister's website on June 7th, Rachada Dhnadirek, spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, announced that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will lead a high-level government and business delegation to Hanoi. The visit is expected by the Thai side to continue the momentum of upgrading bilateral relations following the visit to Thailand by General Secretary and President To Lam.

The composition of the delegation reflects Thailand's focus on trade, investment, energy, tourism, industry, logistics, and private sector cooperation.

Ms. Rachada said that Prime Minister Anutin will hold talks with Vietnamese leaders and meet with Thai companies operating in Vietnam as both countries seek to expand cooperation beyond diplomatic goodwill into practical projects.

The delegation included key economic ministers, senior government officials, military leaders, and representatives from more than 10 leading Thai companies investing in Vietnam.

A spokesperson for the Thai Government Office stated that the objective of this trip, as instructed by Prime Minister Anutin to relevant ministries and agencies, is to identify areas that can be immediately promoted with Vietnam, including expanding trade, promoting investment, logistics connectivity, clean energy, food security, and human resource development.

The governments of both countries believe that cooperation should not be limited to written documents or meetings, but should be translated into work plans, projects, and tangible results that the people and businesses of both countries can see.

Thailand and Vietnam aim to increase bilateral trade to US$25 billion, while Thai government figures show current trade at approximately US$24 billion. The two countries also agreed to pursue cooperation under the "Three Connectivity" strategy, encompassing production connectivity, infrastructure connectivity, and transformation connectivity.

For the first time, the AFF has the simultaneous presence of five heads of government from five ASEAN countries: Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, Prime Minister of Laos Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul, and Prime Minister of Timor Leste Xanana Gusmão.

The presence of high-ranking leaders from many countries clearly demonstrates the spirit of regional cohesion and Vietnam's proactive and responsible role.

Dr. Nguyen Hung Son, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, stated that since Vietnam initiated the AFF, the initiative's goal has always been to support ASEAN's official cooperation channels, thereby contributing to Vietnam's efforts in building the ASEAN Community.

Therefore, each year, Vietnam selects a theme to support the ASEAN Chair country in promoting ASEAN's common priorities and agenda.

"The core message we want to convey is that Vietnam is proactively supporting and contributing, as a responsible member of the ASEAN Community, to the ASEAN Community building process," the Director of the Diplomatic Academy shared.

This year's AFF features many innovations, particularly in the participation of a larger and more diverse group of stakeholders. First and foremost is the first-time participation of ASEAN political parties to discuss ways to promote inter-party cooperation, thereby jointly realizing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

Secondly, the participation of leaders from major ASEAN cities is crucial. The presence of these cities is extremely important because they are centers of population, growth, and also serve as economic, political, cultural, and scientific and technological hubs for ASEAN countries.

With the participation and cooperation of these cities, ASEAN will be able to increase the effectiveness of its cooperation and accelerate its progress towards its common goals.

Finally, an indispensable element and component of the AFF is the participation of young people – the future leaders of ASEAN. This is a very innovative component and always creates surprises because of the open-minded, creative, and forward-looking thinking of the youth.

The forum will continue to grow, becoming an annual event and a “nursery” for innovative ideas, contributing to the sustainable development of ASEAN in the future.