ASEAN FMs urge ceasefire, diplomacy amid escalating Middle East conflict

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday issued a unified call for the immediate cessation of hostilities in the escalating Middle East conflict, urging all parties to exercise utmost self-restraint, protect civilians and critical infrastructure, and return to diplomatic dialogue as the only path to lasting peace and stability.

The Philippines, serving as ASEAN chair, convened a ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Special Meeting to address the growing security crisis in the Middle East and its far-reaching implications for regional economic stability, energy security, and the safety of ASEAN nationals in affected areas.

"We expressed serious concern over the situation in the Middle East and its impacts in the region, calling on all parties to respect international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, in the interest of maintaining peace and stability in the region," Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, chair of the meeting, said at a press conference after the discussions.

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, ministers held in-depth discussions on the broader impact of the conflict, particularly its cascading effects on energy supply chains, commodity prices, macroeconomic stability, and the welfare of ASEAN nationals currently in conflict-affected areas.