Key facts
- Asean Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn highlighted food security challenges.
- He stated the Middle East war is a wake-up call for the bloc.
- Hourn emphasized the need for Asean to collaborate for greater energy resilience and food security.
Asean Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn has issued a warning regarding the growing challenge of food security within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Speaking with Haslinda Amin from Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hourn described the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as a critical "wake-up" call for the bloc. He emphasized the urgent need for Asean member states to collaborate more effectively to ensure greater energy resilience and bolster food security across the region. The dialogue provided a platform for leaders to discuss pressing geopolitical and economic issues affecting Southeast Asia and beyond.