ASEAN foreign ministers flag Mideast, US-Iran conflicts
ASEAN foreign ministers have expressed concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East and the US-Iran conflict. The diplomats emphasized the need for self-restraint to protect regional trade, energy, and food security.
Why it matters
Regional stability in Southeast Asia is sensitive to global geopolitical conflicts that threaten supply chains and economic security.
MANILA, Philippines - Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are concerned over the evolving situation in the Middle East and renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran.
At the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting plenary session at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay, top diplomats called on the US and Iran to exercise self-restraint and avoid acts that may further aggravate the situation.
Diplomats emphasized the immediate and long-term effects of the Middle East crisis on people and warned of further implications of continued Middle East tensions on regional trade, energy and food security.
Ministers reaffirmed the importance of maintaining maritime safety and security and upholding freedom of navigation, in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
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