The Middle East crisis cast a shadow over a diplomatic gathering in Southeast Asia on Tuesday, where ASEAN foreign ministers voiced serious concerns over renewed hostilities.
In a joint statement, serious concerns were expressed by the ministers about the rapidly evolving conflict in the Middle East, calling for restraint and the avoidance of acts that further aggravate the situation.
The developments severely undermine ongoing efforts by key mediators and diminish prospects for peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.
Southeast Asia relies heavily on Middle Eastern oil and gas and was severely hit by the global supply and price shocks sparked by the war in Iran.
When the US-Iran war broke out earlier this year, it disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Southeast Asian countries felt immediate impact through rising energy prices, supply disruptions, and higher costs for food and basic goods.
The ministers acknowledged this directly, saying the Middle East tensions are affecting regional trade, energy supply, food security, and supply chains across Southeast Asia.
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Several major powers have also sent their top diplomats to Manila. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Tuesday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to attend in the coming days.
Russia, India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Britain, and the European Union are also represented. Rubio and Wang Yi may meet on the sidelines, a potential encounter that the world will be closely.
Myanmar is also an important issue on the table. ASEAN has banned Myanmar’s military leadership from attending its top meetings since the 2021 coup, and a five-point peace plan the bloc put forward has largely been ignored by the junta.
Earlier this month, ASEAN foreign ministers met Myanmar’s foreign minister in Bangkok for the first time in five years. A follow-up informal consultation on Myanmar among ASEAN ministers is scheduled for July 22 in Manila.
The 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is happening at one of the most complicated moments in the bloc’s nearly six-decade history.
The Middle East war, tensions in the South China Sea, and the civil war in Myanmar are all demanding attention at the same time, while major powers like the US, China, and Russia sit in the same building with very different views on how to handle each one.
