Key Diplomats Urge for Resumption of Strait of Hormuz Passage in Manila Conference
Top officials from the Southeast Asian nations are expected to express their concerns over the increased tensions in the Middle East and advocate for the full resumption of the Strait of Hormuz, at a meeting in the capital city of the Philippines. The gathering will witness participation from Western and Asian counterparts.
Discussions about Iran and the world's most persistent conflicts will be at the top of the agenda of this annual meeting, organized by a group of 11 Southeast Asian countries with the Philippines as the current host.
High-Profile Attendees
Notable attendees include the U.S. Secretary of State, the Chinese Foreign Minister, and the Russian Foreign Minister. The top diplomat from Ukraine has been invited to a Friday ceremony to commemorate a 1976 nonaggression treaty, but he will not partake in the meetings attended by the U.S. and Russian representatives.
The U.S. and Russian diplomats have not announced any intentions of meeting each other or the Ukrainian representative while in the Philippine capital.
Impact of Iran War on Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, a vibrant region with over 680 million residents, heavily depends on oil and gas from the Middle East. The Iran war has caused significant disruptions to the global supply and price of these resources. The President of the Philippines declared a national energy emergency earlier this year to ensure the supply of fuel, food, and other essentials and to prevent hoarding and price manipulation.
Foreign ministers from Southeast Asia will first convene on Tuesday to discuss the revived hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, and the threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway used to be the route for about 20% of the world's oil supplies before the war.
Call for Peace and Stability
A draft statement of concern, seen before the meeting, underscores the need for regional peace, stability, and prosperity, adherence to international law, and a complete and immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East. The ministers have also recognized the added implications of the continued tensions in the Middle East on regional trade, energy, and food security, including effects on energy markets and supply chains, and agricultural production.
The ministers are expected to advocate for the restoration of safe, unobstructed, and continuous transit passage of vessels and aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz.
Regional Disputes: Myanmar's Civil War and South China Sea
The foreign ministers are facing increasing pressure to contribute more towards resolving conflicts in their own region, primarily the civil war in Myanmar and the disputes in the South China Sea. Since Myanmar's military seized power from the elected government in 2021, more than 8,100 people have been killed and nearly 22,500 remain in detention.
A five-point peace plan issued by the Southeast Asian leaders in 2021 has failed to end the violence, mainly due to non-compliance by Myanmar's military-backed government. The bloc has barred the country's leaders and foreign minister from attending its top-level meetings, including this week's meetings in the Philippines.
To resolve the deadlock, the foreign ministers, led by the Philippines' Theresa Lazaro, met their Myanmar counterpart for the first time in five years this month in Bangkok. They reiterated calls for an end to the violence and renewed efforts to promote dialogue.
However, the meeting was criticized by rights groups, who argued that it effectively abandoned the bloc’s ban on engaging the country’s senior officials and rewarded the generals without getting any concession.
Lazaro defended the meeting, saying it did not abandon the five-point consensus and insisted that the path to peace could only be achieved through determined diplomacy with all parties to the conflict.
The ministers are also expected to meet the Chinese Foreign Minister in the Philippines to discuss the status of negotiations between China and the regional bloc on a proposed pact called a “code of conduct,” which aims to prevent territorial disputes in the South China Sea from escalating.
Top officials from the Southeast Asian nations are expected to express their concerns over the increased tensions in the Middle East and advocate for the full resumption of the Strait of Hormuz, at a meeting in the capital city of the Philippines. The gathering will witness participation from Western and Asian counterparts.
Discussions about Iran and the world's most persistent conflicts will be at the top of the agenda of this annual meeting, organized by a group of 11 Southeast Asian countries with the Philippines as the current host.
High-Profile Attendees
Notable attendees include the U.S. Secretary of State, the Chinese Foreign Minister, and the Russian Foreign Minister. The top diplomat from Ukraine has been invited to a Friday ceremony to commemorate a 1976 nonaggression treaty, but he will not partake in the meetings attended by the U.S. and Russian representatives.
The U.S. and Russian diplomats have not announced any intentions of meeting each other or the Ukrainian representative while in the Philippine capital.
Impact of Iran War on Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, a vibrant region with over 680 million residents, heavily depends on oil and gas from the Middle East. The Iran war has caused significant disruptions to the global supply and price of these resources. The President of the Philippines declared a national energy emergency earlier this year to ensure the supply of fuel, food, and other essentials and to prevent hoarding and price manipulation.
Foreign ministers from Southeast Asia will first convene on Tuesday to discuss the revived hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, and the threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway used to be the route for about 20% of the world's oil supplies before the war.
Call for Peace and Stability
A draft statement of concern, seen before the meeting, underscores the need for regional peace, stability, and prosperity, adherence to international law, and a complete and immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East. The ministers have also recognized the added implications of the continued tensions in the Middle East on regional trade, energy, and food security, including effects on energy markets and supply chains, and agricultural production.
The ministers are expected to advocate for the restoration of safe, unobstructed, and continuous transit passage of vessels and aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz.
Regional Disputes: Myanmar's Civil War and South China Sea
The foreign ministers are facing increasing pressure to contribute more towards resolving conflicts in their own region, primarily the civil war in Myanmar and the disputes in the South China Sea. Since Myanmar's military seized power from the elected government in 2021, more than 8,100 people have been killed and nearly 22,500 remain in detention.
A five-point peace plan issued by the Southeast Asian leaders in 2021 has failed to end the violence, mainly due to non-compliance by Myanmar's military-backed government. The bloc has barred the country's leaders and foreign minister from attending its top-level meetings, including this week's meetings in the Philippines.
To resolve the deadlock, the foreign ministers, led by the Philippines' Theresa Lazaro, met their Myanmar counterpart for the first time in five years this month in Bangkok. They reiterated calls for an end to the violence and renewed efforts to promote dialogue.
However, the meeting was criticized by rights groups, who argued that it effectively abandoned the bloc’s ban on engaging the country’s senior officials and rewarded the generals without getting any concession.
Lazaro defended the meeting, saying it did not abandon the five-point consensus and insisted that the path to peace could only be achieved through determined diplomacy with all parties to the conflict.
The ministers are also expected to meet the Chinese Foreign Minister in the Philippines to discuss the status of negotiations between China and the regional bloc on a proposed pact called a “code of conduct,” which aims to prevent territorial disputes in the South China Sea from escalating.