ASEAN renews call for cessation of hostilities in Middle East ~ HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTIONS

Saturday, March 14, 2026

ASEAN renews call for cessation of hostilities in Middle East

Saturday, March 14, 2026 Herbert Curia - Promoter No comments

From the Website of PNA
links https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1271032

ASEAN renews call for cessation of hostilities in Middle East

MANILA – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) renewed its call for the

“immediate cessation of hostilities” in the raging conflict in the Middle East after holding a special foreign ministers’ meeting on the bloc’s response to the crisis.

Foreign Affairs Sec. Ma. Theresa Lazaro, the meeting chair, said the ministers and senior officials present called on all parties to “exercise utmost self-restraint and resolve differences through diplomacy and dialogue.”

“The Meeting underscored the importance of maintaining regional peace, stability and prosperity, upholding international law, and promoting dialogue and diplomacy as the primary means of addressing conflicts and tensions,” the ASEAN chair statement read.

“The ASEAN Foreign Ministers agreed to continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East and to coordinate to address its implications for ASEAN,” it added.

The Philippines, as the 2026 ASEAN chair, convened the special meeting on Friday via videoconference, which was attended by the foreign ministers of Brunei, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as senior officials from Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Timor-Leste.

The ministers held in-depth exchanges on the broader consequences of the crisis, with particular attention to its cascading effects on energy supply chains, commodity prices, macroeconomic stability and the welfare of ASEAN nationals currently in conflict-affected areas.

Lazaro said the ministers emphasized the need to maintain “stable, open, and reliable global energy supply chains and maritime trade routes, and minimizing disruption to the flow of energy and essential goods, including food.”

The Philippines, for its part, called on ASEAN states to move swiftly in identifying and implementing short-term mitigation measures, including the sharing of best practices, coordinated policy responses to cushion economic shocks, and concrete steps to safeguard both ASEAN nationals abroad and regional energy supply chains.

The ministers also reaffirmed ASEAN's collective obligation to extend emergency assistance and consular protection to nationals of Member States throughout this crisis.

In addition, they raised the possibility of exploring similarly beneficial collaboration with external parties.

The ASEAN Economic Ministers also expressed deep concern over the continued tensions in the Middle East and called for the de-escalation of the conflict.

"We joined the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in calling for the de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East through diplomatic and peaceful means, including the cessation of hostilities, the exercise of maximum restraint, and the pursuit of dialogue by all parties concerned," they said in a joint statement on Friday.

The Economic Ministers met at the 32nd ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Taguig, Philippines, to discuss the global and regional situation, including the tension in the Middle East and its potential implications for the ASEAN region and global and regional economy.

They noted that the conflict in the Middle East already led to higher freight, insurance, and logistics costs and contributed to inflationary pressures on energy, food, and other essential goods.

"A prolonged period of geopolitical instability could pose sustained challenges to the global economic outlook, which has already been battered by multiple headwinds in recent years. It will also impact economic security and stability, the livelihoods of millions of people in the region, and hinder economic progress in ASEAN," they said.

To help mitigate the impact of the conflict, ASEAN Economic Ministers vowed to keep the ASEAN market open for trade and investment.

They also cited the need to strengthen regional energy security and resilience, given ASEAN’s exposure to global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply routes and developments in international energy markets.

They also called for continued collaboration to advance ASEAN’s existing energy cooperation frameworks, including the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Petroleum Security (APSA), the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) Enhanced Memorandum of Understanding, and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP), to ensure stable, secure, sustainable, and resilient energy connectivity and supply.

The Economic Ministers likewise stressed the need to safeguard food security and committed to fully implement relevant ASEAN economic agreements to minimize disruptions in regional food supply chains, ensure that markets are kept open, and strive to reduce excessive price volatility, particularly price spikes.

"We reaffirmed ASEAN’s solidarity, economic integration, and policy coordination in navigating external shocks, including efforts to facilitate trade, strengthen logistics connectivity, ensuring the continued mobility of business people to support trade and investment activities," the ASEAN Economic Ministers said. (PNA)

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