Leaders from Southeast Asian nations gathering for a summit on Friday are expected to discuss a joint response to the fallout from the Middle East crisis, seeking ways to reduce the strain caused by rising energy costs that have shaken their oil-dependent economies.
At the meeting on the Philippine island of Cebu, heads of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are likely to push for a coordinated approach to safeguarding energy and food supplies in a region especially vulnerable to the nearly 70-day disruption of the vital Strait of Hormuz.
In opening remarks as chair of ASEAN, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said ASEAN was standing together to demonstrate its capacity to respond with unity and resolve, but must remain agile.
Coordination Challenge
ASEAN economic ministers met in Cebu on Thursday and “identified practical, concrete response measures” to ensure energy and food security, according to a chair statement, but the proposals lacked specific details.
They included diversifying suppliers and routes and developing a crisis communication protocol, but it was unclear what, if any, action might be taken.
Home to nearly 700 million people and a combined $3.8 trillion economy, Southeast Asia faces major risks from the Iran war. The Philippines, one of the first nations to declare an energy emergency, is pushing for a voluntary ASEAN oil-sharing deal.
However, ASEAN coordination remains difficult due to slow integration, wide differences among its 11 members, and the lack of a central enforcement body. At Friday’s retreat, leaders are expected to urge a negotiated U.S.-Iran settlement and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas supplies.
Leaders will urge ASEAN members to complete the domestic processes required to approve a fuel-sharing pact, ensuring its “earliest possible entry into force”, according to a working draft of a statement seen by Reuters on Thursday.
Peace Progress
Although the war dominated discussions in Cebu, some progress was made elsewhere on Thursday. Marcos brokered talks between Thailand and Cambodia, leading to an agreement to resume engagement after last year’s deadly border clashes.
ASEAN foreign ministers also agreed to hold a virtual meeting with Myanmar, which is seeking to restore ties with the bloc after being barred from summits following the 2021 coup that triggered civil war. The Myanmar crisis continues to divide ASEAN, with some members open to engaging its new military-backed government led by President Min Aung Hlaing.
(With inputs from Reuters)
