ASEAN on Alert for Middle East Crisis Impact, These are Strategies to Safeguard Energy and Food

The Indonesian government is promoting enhanced regional cooperation within ASEAN to address the impacts of the Middle East crisis, particularly in the energy, food, and supply chain sectors.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, who also serves as Indonesia’s Minister for the ASEAN Economic Community, emphasised the importance of a collective response from ASEAN countries to mounting global pressures.

“This meeting serves as a crucial opportunity for ASEAN nations to respond to escalating global pressures, from surges in energy prices and supply chain disruptions to risks to food security and societal welfare,” he stated in an official release on Friday (1/5/2026).

Furthermore, accelerating the implementation of regional cooperation such as the ASEAN Power Grid, ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement, and Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline is deemed essential to reduce ASEAN’s vulnerability to external shocks.

In the food sector, Indonesia stresses the importance of maintaining supply stability amid rising logistics costs and fertiliser price volatility. Optimising the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve is one of the primary instruments for preserving regional food security, especially for vulnerable groups.

“These efforts must be supported by strengthening trade facilitation, including the optimisation of the ASEAN Single Window, to ensure smooth goods flow and maintain regional competitiveness,” Airlangga explained.

In line with this, ASEAN economic ministers in a joint statement affirmed their commitment to bolstering regional resilience through closer cooperation, upholding trade openness, and ensuring coordinated and measured policy responses.

This approach is expected to safeguard ASEAN’s economic stability and growth amid increasingly complex global dynamics.