Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro emphasized the importance of ASEAN unity, agility, and resilience as the region faces mounting global uncertainties and evolving geopolitical challenges.
Speaking at the opening of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Cebu, Secretary Lazaro underscored that the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairship theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together,” reflects the region’s shared responsibility to address immediate crises while remaining focused on long-term regional goals.
“Navigating uncertainty requires both agility in responding to immediate and pressing challenges and steadfast commitment in pursuing our long-term goals under the ASEAN Community Vision 2045,” Lazaro said.
Secretary Lazaro noted that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to impact ASEAN economies and communities, disrupting energy supplies, trade routes, transportation, tourism, and food supply chains, while also affecting millions of ASEAN nationals working in the region.
“For ASEAN, which imports about 66 percent of its crude oil, this crisis has resulted in significant increases in fuel and energy costs, eventually driving up prices of agricultural inputs, food, and other basic commodities,” she explained.
She added that the crisis demonstrates how developments beyond Southeast Asia can produce “immediate and profound effects” on ASEAN member states.
In response, ASEAN Foreign Ministers convened two Special Meetings to coordinate a collective regional response, highlighting the bloc’s commitment to acting “with urgency, coordinating closely, and responding collectively.”
Secretary Lazaro stressed that ASEAN’s experience amid the crisis further underscores the need to strengthen the organization’s crisis coordination mechanisms and institutional preparedness to better respond to future regional and global disruptions.
Despite current challenges, Lazaro reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to advancing key regional priorities, including ASEAN Community-building initiatives, the golden jubilee of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, Timor-Leste’s post-admission integration process, and efforts to uphold ASEAN Centrality in external partnerships.
As Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar, Secretary Lazaro also said she would brief fellow ministers on recent developments in Myanmar and ongoing efforts to implement the Five-Point Consensus.
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting continues to serve as a platform for strengthening regional cooperation and reinforcing ASEAN’s shared commitment to peace, stability, and sustainable development amid an increasingly complex global landscape.
