Middle East shock hits ASEAN — Anutin urges unity on energy, food and citizen protection

At the 48th ASEAN Summit plenary session, leaders gathered under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together”, which Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said was timely and relevant to the challenges facing the region.

Addressing the meeting, Anutin said ASEAN must remain united, adaptable and forward-looking as it prepares for change in an increasingly uncertain world, a task that requires cooperation from all sectors.

He said ASEAN’s strength was being tested by the situation in the Middle East, which had affected energy prices, food security and people’s livelihoods across the region.

The prime minister proposed that ASEAN strengthen its unity in three key areas.

On energy security, he said disruptions to key maritime transport routes had exposed the vulnerability of global supply chains and underlined the need to safeguard maritime security and freedom of navigation.

He said ASEAN should accelerate practical cooperation, including pushing forward the ASEAN Power Grid, making use of the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement and increasing investment in commercially viable renewable energy projects such as solar power and biofuels.

On food security, which was raised by all ASEAN leaders in their statements, the prime minister said the region was facing pressure from rising energy and fertiliser costs, affecting both production and commodity prices.

He said ASEAN should build on existing cooperation models, such as the Thailand-Singapore rice trade agreement, which helped secure supply during crises, and consider expanding similar approaches to other essential consumer goods.

Thailand, as one of the world’s major food producers, stood ready to fully support and strengthen ASEAN cooperation on food security, he said.

On the protection of ASEAN nationals, the prime minister stressed that ASEAN’s ultimate goal was to care for and protect its people.

During the recent conflict in the Middle East, he said he had chaired an operations centre to coordinate the evacuation of thousands of Thai nationals. Although the mission was challenging, it reflected the value of ASEAN cooperation.

He added that today’s challenges were increasingly interconnected, spanning energy, food and human security. ASEAN therefore needed to develop its community-building approach in line with the changing global context.

The ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on the situation in the Middle East reflected the shared commitment of member states to respond to challenges systematically, he said. Thailand stood ready to work with all ASEAN members to deliver concrete results and ensure the bloc remained strong and relevant in an increasingly uncertain world.

At the plenary session, leaders also agreed on the Cebu Protocol to Amend the Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, aimed at updating the ASEAN Charter to accommodate Timor-Leste’s membership in the bloc.

The summit also adopted four key declarations and statements:

1. ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation
2. ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Priority Actions for Regional Resilience in Response to the Implications of the Situation in the Middle East on the Region
3. ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on the ASEAN Convergence on Disaster Response: The ASEAN Strategic Protocol for Emergency and Comprehensive Transformation (ASPECT) Framework
4. The ASEAN Declaration on the Empowerment of Youth in Climate Action and Disaster Resilience