Key facts
- ASEAN foreign ministers will meet in Manila to discuss global and regional conflicts.
- Key agenda items include the Iran war, the civil war in Myanmar, and South China Sea disputes.
- Top diplomats from the US, China, and Russia, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Ministers Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov, will attend.
- The ministers plan to issue a joint statement expressing alarm over the Iran conflict and urging a resumption of talks.
- ASEAN's five-point peace plan for Myanmar has failed to end the violence.
- The US aims to renew assurances for a free and open Indo-Pacific during the meetings.
Southeast Asia's top diplomats are gathering in Manila for annual talks, with renewed hostilities in the Middle East, particularly the Iran war, topping the agenda. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministers plan to issue a joint statement expressing alarm over the conflict and urging a return to talks, as the fighting threatens shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Top diplomats from the United States, China, and Russia, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, are attending the meetings. Rubio's presence aims to renew Washington's commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and he is also expected to participate in a Quad meeting.
Beyond external conflicts, ASEAN ministers face pressure to address internal regional disputes, including the civil war in Myanmar and tensions in the South China Sea. The bloc's previous five-point peace plan for Myanmar has failed to quell violence, leading to a ban on Myanmar's leaders from attending high-level meetings. Despite this, ASEAN foreign ministers recently met with Myanmar's counterpart in an effort to foster dialogue.
The Philippines, hosting the talks, declared a national energy emergency in March due to concerns over fuel and basic goods availability, exacerbated by the global supply and price shocks from the Iran war. The US focus on the Middle East has also raised concerns about its attention to Asia-Pacific security issues, including China's actions in the South China Sea and towards Taiwan.