ASEAN calls for restraint in Middle East conflict

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations urged parties involved in the Middle East conflict to fully implement the ceasefire and uphold peace, stability and prosperity worldwide.

In a statement issued after the summit, ASEAN leaders expressed “serious concern” over the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East, warning that it poses a “grave threat” to the lives and safety of civilians and to regional and global peace and stability.

“We urged all parties involved to maintain conducive conditions for the full and effective implementation of the ceasefire, by exercising utmost restraint, ceasing all hostilities and avoiding any acts that may aggravate the situation,” the leaders said.

“We underscore the importance of maintaining regional peace, stability and prosperity, upholding international law and promoting genuine dialogue and diplomacy in addressing conflicts and tensions, including the need for a complete and immediate cessation of hostilities across all fronts in the Middle East,” they added.

The leaders likewise called for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in armed conflicts and the safety of United Nations peacekeepers and humanitarian personnel.

“We stressed the need to preserve the unimpeded flow of energy and essential goods, including food, agricultural inputs, pharmaceutical products and transport fuels, in order to safeguard economic stability and strengthen resilience across ASEAN,” they added.

At a press conference on Friday, President Marcos said ASEAN leaders united to call for peace and issued a document urging all parties to cease hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pursue lasting peace.

“(Peace) is something…fundamental to any discussion about the war in the Middle East. That’s the first step, because we will achieve absolutely nothing until there is peace,” Marcos said. “We, now, are in this limbo situation where we don’t know how long it’s going to last. We don’t know when the next encounter is going to be. Is the ceasefire on? Is it not on?... It’s a very difficult situation. Until the fighting ends, until the bombings end, then it’s very difficult to put together any kind of solution.”

Action urged on Myanmar

Apart from discussions on the Middle East, ASEAN leaders likewise tackled the political crisis in Myanmar, with Marcos acknowledging frustration among member-states over the lack of progress in efforts to normalize the situation there.

“I believe that many of the members aired their frustration about the lack of progress in the process of normalizing the situation in Myanmar and trying to find a way forward, trying to find some kind of agreement amongst the member states,” the President told reporters after the summit.

“We have to do something because Myanmar is not merely a trade partner. Myanmar is not merely a friend to ASEAN. Myanmar is part of the ASEAN family and it is a tragedy when a family member is left out of the family for whatever reason... We need to find other ways to move the process forward. What those other ways are is something that we now will have to go away and think about.”

Myanmar was supposed to chair this year’s ASEAN Summit, but it was replaced by the Philippines because of the political crisis that stemmed from a 2021 coup that ousted a democratically elected government.

Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the military junta that launched the coup, won the Myanmar presidency during an election held last month.

ASEAN has yet to reach a con sensus on whether to recognize the results of the election.

Gratitude extended

As the summit came to a close, Marcos thanked fellow ASEAN leaders and partners for their cooperation and emphasized the importance of unity amid global uncertainty.

“As we close the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos and I extend our deepest gratitude to our fellow ASEAN leaders and partners for the trust, friendship and meaningful discussions we shared over the past few days,” the Chief Executive said in a separate Facebook post.

“At a time when the world faces uncertainty, ASEAN once again showed that we move forward best when we listen to one another, work together and keep our peoples at the center of every decision.”

Under the Philippines’ chairship, ASEAN leaders adopted several key documents aimed at strengthening regional cooperation on climate action, disaster response and maritime concerns.

Among those were the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation; the ASEAN Declaration on the Empowerment of Youth in Climate Action and Disaster Resilience, which recognizes the role of young people in climate-risk reduction and disaster preparedness, and the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on the ASEAN Convergence on Disaster Response.