ASEAN Foreign Ministers Call for Ceasefire Amid Escalating Middle East Crisis

Manila — The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued a joint call on Friday for the immediate cessation of hostilities in the escalating Middle East conflict.

The ministers urged all parties to exercise full restraint, protect civilian populations and critical infrastructure, and return to diplomatic dialogue as the sole path towards sustainable peace and stability.

The Philippines, which currently holds the ASEAN chairmanship, convened a Special Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers to address the heightened security crisis in the Middle East and its far-reaching implications for regional economic stability, energy security, and the safety of ASEAN citizens in affected areas.

“We express serious concern over the situation in the Middle East and its impact on the region, calling upon all parties to respect international law, including the United Nations Charter, in the interests of preserving peace and stability in the region,” said Ma Theresa Lazaro, the Philippine foreign minister and chair of the meeting, during a press conference following the discussion.

The session brought together foreign ministers from the bloc’s member states in what Lazaro described as a demonstration of ASEAN’s collective resolve to address the crisis and its potential consequences.

During the meeting, the ministers conducted an in-depth discussion on the broader impact of the conflict, particularly the cascading effects it poses to energy supply chains, commodity prices, macroeconomic stability, and the welfare of ASEAN citizens currently in areas affected by the conflict.