Manila: ASEAN is preparing to discuss the Middle East crisis and energy security. Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are set to meet on Friday, May 8, to discuss the impact of global energy market volatility on the region's heavily reliant economy.
According to Thai News Agency, Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Teresa P. Lazaro stated that the summit would prioritize energy security, food stability, and the protection of ASEAN citizens abroad, indicating that the ripple effects of the crisis in the Middle East would be a key agenda item. Analysts believe that the economic pressures linked to the conflict may overshadow other issues in the region. Waffa Karisma, a researcher from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), commented that the Middle East crisis is critically important, and ASEAN leaders are firmly committed to resolving it. The Philippines, as the ASEAN chair, has proposed various projects to address the energy and food security crises.
Diplomats and analysts added that the unfolding situation will test the Philippines' role as ASEAN chair, as the Manila government attempts to coordinate regional cooperation in responding to external impacts while simultaneously preventing internal ASEAN issues from being downplayed. Pressure on regional leaders has intensified since the escalation of tensions following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February, creating renewed uncertainty in global energy markets and driving up transportation costs, food prices, and fertilizer prices across Southeast Asia. ASEAN governments have already held special ministerial meetings on energy, economic coordination, and food security ahead of the summit.
In addition, the meeting is expected to discuss efforts to push forward the long-stalled Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, amid heightened tensions between Manila and Beijing in recent months. However, expectations of significant progress remain limited. Mr. Karisma added that these dynamics could further complicate ASEAN's approach to the South China Sea, as member states must balance their close economic ties with China with maritime disputes and efforts to negotiate a code of conduct in these strategic waters. He noted that the Philippines itself must also find a balance in a modern era where no single superpower can be immediately relied upon to safeguard the rules-based global order.
In recent years, the Philippine and Chinese governments have faced numerous maritime confrontations in the South China Sea, where China claims sovereignty over most of it, despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling that rendered such claims legally invalid. Meanwhile, Dominic Imperial, the Philippines' ASEAN spokesperson, stated that strategic dialogue and consensus-building within the group are crucial in addressing issues affecting the region. He emphasized that with 11 ASEAN member states, a unified voice is essential, and while individual countries can act at the bilateral level, highlighting ASEAN's role as a cooperative group for dialogue and such relationships is equally important.