RSIS and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) held a roundtable on 9 February 2023 at RSIS. The roundtable followed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between RSIS and the DAV on the sidelines of the visit of His Excellency Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Singapore.

At the roundtable, participants from RSIS led by Mr Adrian Tan (Deputy Director of Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies; Head of Strategic Planning, Coordination and Projects) and the DAV led by Dr Pham Lan Dung (Acting President of the DAV; Director-General of Foreign Service Training Center (FOSET); Vice President of Asian Society of International Law; Vice-President and Secretary-General of Viet Nam Society of International Law) discussed the implementation of the MOU and exchanged views on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Participants noted that amid China-US strategic competition, the absence of trust among the major powers, and the various challenges currently faced by ASEAN, the key task for ASEAN is to ensure that its centrality remains credible. While ASEAN continues to remain relevant in the region, participants also emphasised the need for ASEAN to strengthen its responsiveness to regional challenges and to engage in deeper conversations about its vision for the region. ASEAN would be particularly important for small and medium-sized countries, such as Singapore and Vietnam, that rely on multilateralism and a rules-based order to secure their interests.

Initiatives to bolster links between RSIS and the DAV were also proposed, under the auspices of the newly signed MOU. Mr Tan and Dr Pham welcomed the suggestions for research collaboration and exchanges, and looked forward to future opportunities for both institutions to work closely together.