Pasay city: Ensuring energy and food security against the backdrop of the ongoing West Asia crisis topped the agenda of ASEAN's series of meetings with its external partners on Wednesday, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
According to Nam News Network, the Philippines opened the third day of its week-long 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting with the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conferences (PMC) with the bloc's dialogue partners. At the PMC with the US, State Secretary Marco Rubio pledged comprehensive support to Southeast Asian energy security, supply chains, and aviation infrastructure through a new US$1.5 billion worth of strategic investment. Rubio emphasized that the US would aid in developing Southeast Asia's liquefied natural gas market by deploying US grid technologies and backing the ASEAN power grid. He assured that as ASEAN seeks to implement its ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement, the United States will remain heavily engaged on energy-related issues.
British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband, who only assumed his position on July 20, expressed the UK's commitment to intensify cooperation with ASEAN, stressing that the region's maritime, energy, and economic security hinges on multilateral collaboration. He urged countries to inject renewed international energy and momentum to secure peace in West Asia and other conflict-ridden areas. Miliband highlighted the impact of the Iran conflict on ASEAN partners, stating that the economic and living standards of its citizens, along with the welfare of seafarers from many ASEAN nations, are significantly affected. He assured that the UK government would work intensively with others to de-escalate the conflict, emphasizing the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and uphold freedom of navigation.
ASEAN convened its PMCs with all its dialogue partners, including India, Canada, the United States, the European Union, China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, and the United Kingdom, at the newly-renovated Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. All dialogue partner countries were represented by their respective foreign ministers. Discussions covered advancing cooperation in maritime security, trade, education, and people-to-people exchanges to combat transnational crime, among others.
On the sidelines of the PMCs, top diplomats from the US, Australia, India, and Japan held a Quad meeting, affirming their support for ASEAN unity and centrality. In a joint statement, they expressed a shared investment in the region's success and cooperation with ASEAN and its member states, asserting that peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the region's security and prosperity.
The Philippines is set to convene the high-level ASEAN Regional Forum and East Asia Summit on Thursday, further discussing regional cooperation and strategic partnerships.
