Vientiane (VNA) – Lao Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith's working trip to Vietnam to attend the ongoing ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2025 in Hanoi was highlighted in an article published by the Lao News Agency (KPL)’s e-news🅷paper on Febr♛uary 26.

According to the newspaper, the AFF is an initiative by Vietnam that brings together opinions from state agencies, leaders, private organisations, youth, and researchers in and outside the region, aiming to boost cooperation for building a strong ASEAN community in the future. The forum focused on discussing solutions to address challenges in a volatile world, and seize opportunities to foster a robust ASEAN community in the decades ahead, towards realising the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, which is expected to be adopted by ASEAN leaders at the 46th ASEAN Summit in May 2025 in Malaysia. According to the article, Lao Deputy PM Saleumxay congratulated and highly valued Vietnam's initiative in organising the forum. He affirmed that this is an important event in the region, with its theme aligning with current trends and conditions in the region and the world. He pointed out that challenges such as technological development, especially artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, climate change, environmental issues, food security, economic concerns, and development disparities, have significantly impacted people's lives, as well as peace, stability, and sustainability in the region and the world. In the current context, ASEAN needs to further promote intra-bloc cooperation to consolidate its strength as well as that of all member states, Saleumxay stated, adding that this was a priority for Laos in its role as ASEAN Chair 2024, aimed at helping the bloc effectively tackle challenges and difficulties while working towards building a united, inclusive, and resilient community in the volatile global landscape./.