ASEAN holds urgent talks on Middle East war, energy and food security

ASEAN foreign ministers held an emergency meeting on April 13 to discuss the worsening Middle East conflict, with Thailand saying the region must prepare for wider fallout on energy and food security as global disruption deepens. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow joined the second special ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting by videoconference, which was chaired by the Philippines in its role as ASEAN chair.

The ministers reviewed developments in the Middle East, particularly the ceasefire and negotiations between the United States and Iran, and called on both sides to keep pursuing diplomacy towards a lasting settlement. They also stressed the importance of maritime security, the safety of seafarers and people caught up in the conflict, and the need to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight in and above key international chokepoints, especially the Strait of Hormuz.

ASEAN also reaffirmed the importance of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, as concern grows over the impact of the conflict on one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

On energy, the meeting discussed accelerating ratification of the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement, strengthening the ASEAN Power Grid and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline, and mobilising more investment in renewable energy to speed up the transition, particularly in solar power and biofuels.

On food security, ministers discussed expanding the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve mechanism so that it can also cover other essential food commodities, while also pushing for closer cooperation across the full food production chain.

The meeting underlined ASEAN’s effort to move quickly from diplomatic concern to practical contingency planning, as governments across the region brace for the broader economic shock of a prolonged Middle East crisis.