May 30, 2026 | 07:05 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vietnam's President To Lam on Friday, May 29, 2026, highlighted the role of ASEAN centrality in safeguarding regional peace, stability, and development, while calling for unity, dialogue, and strategic autonomy amidst growing geopolitical competition.The remarks were conveyed in a keynote address delivered at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 in Singapore.Lam said the Asia-Pacific region shares a common interest in achieving peace, connectivity, and development, and boasts strong experience in multi-layered cooperation."It is where ASEAN functions as a framework for cooperation, dialogue and balance," Lam emphasized, Xinhua reported, as quoted from Antara.ASEAN has the motivation and determination to ensure that competition does not turn into confrontation, connectivity routes do not become dividing lines, and the security of one country does not become a source of insecurity for another, the Vietnamese head of state said.The regional bloc centrality cannot be underestimated and will not be self-sustaining, Lam continued. He stressed that it can only be maintained through unity, strategic autonomy, and the ability to shape a common agenda.He added that the Southeast Asian region welcomes interactions that are transparent, responsible, respectful of international law, support ASEAN centrality, and contribute to the reduction of tensions.Read: ASEAN Revises Charter After Nearly Two DecadesClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
