ASEAN foreign ministers convene in Manila amid Middle East, regional crises

Foreign ministers of the 11‑nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Manila from July 20‑24, 2026, under the Philippines’ 2026 chairmanship. The summit gathered senior diplomats from ASEAN and major partners including the United States (Secretary of State Marco Rubio), China (Foreign Minister Wang Yi), Russia (Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov), India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the European Union.

Key agenda items were the fresh US‑Iran conflict and its impact on oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting ASEAN to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and to stress freedom of navigation under UNCLOS. The bloc also discussed the stalled peace process in Myanmar, where a civil war has claimed roughly 100,000 lives, and urged the junta’s reintegration into regional dialogue. Maritime tensions in the South China Sea and the pending ASEAN‑China code of conduct were another focus, with the Philippines accusing China’s coast guard of assaulting a Filipino sailor.

The meeting reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to regional stability, energy security, and diplomatic cooperation, while issuing a joint statement urging restraint and dialogue across all crises.