Phnom Penh: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said at the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum in Vietnam that ASEAN must continue to play its role as a defender of a free, open, modern and rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core.
In his address to ASEAN members on June 9, 2026, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the world is currently being plagued by a series of crises. This makes the issue of sustainable development less prominent on the international stage.
In that, the King emphasized that we are indeed seeing a regression in the development process of small states that used to rely heavily on peace, openness, international trade, and the rules-based international order to gradually move up. At the development level, the idea that a member state can be completely self-reliant in its entire supply chain is a pipe dream.
Furthermore, for the sake of the future of the ASEAN economy, the President stressed that we must not dissolve and separate ourselves from the system that has brought shared economic opportunities to the entire community. .
In this regard, President Hun Sen said, “ASEAN must continue to play a role as a defender of the free, open, modern and rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core.
Maximize the benefits of existing free trade agreements by fully enhancing and implementing them. “effectively”.
In addition, the King wants ASEAN to continue to deepen regional integration and invest in areas that will shape the future of growth, including: artificial intelligence (AI), digital revolution, green transition, resilient supply chains, blue economy, creative economy, science and technology And innovation.
