Article by:
Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
MANILA – Ensuring energy and food security against the backdrop of the ongoing Middle East crisis topped the agenda of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation’s (ASEAN) series of meetings with its external partners on Wednesday.
The Philippines opened the third day of its week-long 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conferences (PMC) with the bloc’s dialogue partners.
At the PMC with US, State Secretary Marco Rubio pledged a comprehensive support to Southeast Asian energy security, supply chains, and aviation infrastructure through a new USD1.5 billion worth of strategic investment.
The US, he said, will also help develop Southeast Asia’s liquefied natural gas market by deploying US grid technologies and backing the ASEAN power grid.
“As ASEAN seeks to implement its ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement, the United States will continue to stay heavily engaged on energy-related issues,” he said.
British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband, who only assumed position on July 20, conveyed UK’s commitment to step up cooperation with ASEAN, noting that shaping the region’s maritime, energy, and economic security all depends on how countries work multilaterally.
On the other hand, he called on countries to “inject renewed international energy and momentum” to secure peace in the Middle East and other areas rife with conflict.
“And I know in particular how much the Iran conflict is affecting our ASEAN partners. You are feeling as much as anyone across the world the daily impact on your economies and the living standards of your citizens, as well indeed as the impact on seafarers from many ASEAN nations,” he said.
“As a government, I assure you we will work intensively with others to seek to de-escalate this conflict and find a diplomatic way forward which is in all of our interests. That must include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and upholding the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation,” he added.
ASEAN convened its PMCs with all its dialogue partners--India, Canada, the United States, European Union, China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, and the United Kingdom—at the newly-renovated Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
All dialogue partner countries were represented by their respective foreign ministers.
On top of regional developments, discussions also covered advancing cooperation in maritime security, trade, education, people-to-people to combatting transnational crime, among others.
On the sidelines of the PMCs, the top diplomats of US, Australia, India, and Japan also held a Quad meeting and affirmed their support for ASEAN unity and centrality.
“We are deeply invested in the region’s success and in cooperating with ASEAN and its member states,” they said in a joint statement.
“We are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region,” they added.
On Thursday, the Philippines will convene the high-level ASEAN Regional Forum and East Asia Summit, among others. (PNA)
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