ASEAN leaders to issue joint response to Middle East crisis

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and other ASEAN leaders will consider a joint response to the widening fallout from the Middle East crisis on Friday, according to Daniel Xavier Imperial, spokesperson for the 48th ASEAN Summit.

Imperial said ASEAN’s collective position would be contained in the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on the Response to the Middle East Crisis, one of three key documents to be issued at the summit.

Earlier, ASEAN foreign ministers held two special virtual meetings to discuss developments in the Middle East.

The statement outlines coordinated responses to the crisis and aims to strengthen mechanisms for future emergencies, including those affecting energy supplies, food security and the safety of ASEAN nationals abroad.

The spokesperson said the documents fall under the ASEAN Political-Security Community pillar and are aimed at strengthening regional cooperation amid rising geopolitical and economic challenges.

Among them is the Cebu Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Charter, which would mark the first amendment to the bloc’s founding charter since it was signed in 2007.

The proposed changes are intended to support institutional reforms, including facilitating Timor-Leste’s full integration into ASEAN. Dili was admitted as ASEAN’s 11th member in October.

ASEAN leaders are also expected to endorse the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation, which seeks to expand practical collaboration at sea.

Initiatives under the declaration include elevating the ASEAN Coast Guard Forum into a formal sectoral body and exploring the establishment of an ASEAN Maritime Centre in the Philippines.

The summit comes as ASEAN grapples with the ripple effects of global tensions, particularly concerns over energy and food security.

Under the Philippine chairmanship, Imperial reiterated that leaders would prioritise energy security, food security and the safety of ASEAN nationals.

The agenda also includes activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, ongoing efforts to integrate Timor-Leste, and discussions on the situation in Myanmar.

The Philippines is hosting the 2026 ASEAN Summit and related meetings under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together.”