In a media statement, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro reported that foreign ministers from Southeast Asian nations expressed serious concern over the escalating situation in the Middle East and called for the immediate cessation of hostilities.
Lazaro, in her capacity as chair of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), convened a virtual Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting earlier on March 13, 2026, to discuss the evolving crisis and its potential impact on the region.
The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as senior officials representing Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste.
According to Lazaro’s statement, ASEAN members emphasized the importance of exercising restraint, resolving disputes through diplomacy and dialogue, and upholding international law, including the United Nations Charter.
The ministers also agreed to strengthen regional cooperation to respond effectively to challenges affecting ASEAN and to continue monitoring developments in the Middle East.
Energy security was highlighted as a key topic, with discussions on the conflict’s potential effects on global economic activity, energy markets, and maritime transport routes. ASEAN members stressed maintaining stable and reliable energy supply chains and open maritime routes, while utilizing regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Petroleum Security, ASEAN Power Grid, and Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline.
The statement also noted the importance of expanding intra-ASEAN trade, increasing the use of renewable energy, and enhancing coordination to protect ASEAN nationals abroad through timely information sharing and cooperation among diplomatic missions in third countries.
Lazaro said an ASEAN Chair’s Statement summarizing the outcomes of the meeting will be released on the official websites of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the ASEAN 2026 Philippines Chairship, and ASEAN.
(Source: Media Statement of DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, 13 March 2026)
