Arya News - South China Sea and Myanmar have dominated agenda for ASEAN top diplomats in Manila amid renewed push for progress in the bloc’s two long-standing issues.
JAKARTA – Indonesia has called on ASEAN to match its commitments with tangible results through regional agreements and external partnerships to address practical priorities, while warning that the bloc faces a critical test of its credibility amid mounting geopolitical tensions.
The call came on Tuesday, as top diplomats from 11 ASEAN member states gathered in Manila for day-long talks aimed at forging common positions ahead of meetings with external partners the next day. The talks centered on several issues, including the economic impact from the Middle East conflict, South China Sea disputes and Myanmar crisis.
Foreign Minister Sugiono said the recent global crises had served as a grim reminder of the importance of anticipating their consequences. He further told other foreign ministers there could be no better time to demonstrate the bloc’s ability to uphold its charter by safeguarding regional political, economic and social stability.
In his statement in the plenary session of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM), Sugiono noted the bold steps taken by the bloc during the ASEAN Summit in May, namely amending the group’s charter to take Timor-Leste as its 11th member.
“Now, here in Manila, we face a more demanding question: Can ASEAN deliver on its promises?” the minister continued.
Anticipation also ran high on the first official day of AMM with several long-running regional challenges returning to the forefront, as the Middle Eastern conflict lent new urgency to their resolution.
As the Middle Eastern conflict overshadowed Tuesday’s talks, ASEAN ministers emerged from their closed-door plenary with a joint statement expressing concern over the war’s impact on the region’s economy, the safety of their nationals abroad and ongoing diplomatic efforts.
“We noted the ongoing initiatives, both at the regional and national levels, to promote measures to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of external shocks, and to support access to healthcare, and basic services for our people, particularly [those] in vulnerable situations,” as written in the joint statement after the plenary session.
Indonesia further highlighted in the plenary about the long-delayed completion of the Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea, a document intended to govern conduct in the world’s most contested waterways.
The energy crisis caused by the conflict in the Middle East has exposed fresh vulnerabilities in the group’s strategic resilience. Concerns have started to emerge that leverages for negotiations with Beijing over the South China Sea has weakened, as member states increasingly turn to China for alternative energy supplies when their primary supply was disrupted with the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.
Data from Trade Data Monitor showed that the Philippines, this year’s ASEAN chair, has seen its import of solar panels from China more than doubled in the first five months of this year, compared to the previous year.
Sugiono insisted fulfilling ASEAN’s charter starts with preserving peace, underlining that COC talks must now reach the finish line.
“Our people have waited 24 years for rules at sea. They should not wait for another year,” Sugiono said, adding the importance of a region governed by rules to make one stronger than those controlled by power.
ASEAN Chair and Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro (center) hosts an informal consultation during the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila, on July 21, 2026. (Reuters/Pool/Francis R. Malasig)
The Myanmar crisis also returned to the table on Tuesday, with the ministers devoting a retreat session to the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), the bloc’s peace roadmap for Nay Pyi Taw.
ASEAN has recently stepped up its engagement with Myanmar, although divisions among member states over how to approach the country’s military government have continued to frustrate efforts to forge a unified approach.
Speaking briefly to reporters after the retreat, Sugiono said many of the same old issues resurfaced during the session, but noted that member states had put forward “progressive” views.
In a press briefing, Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa P. Lazaro said the ministers had agreed to review how progress on the 5PC is measured and considered possible reforms to ASEAN’s annual special envoy mechanism for Myanmar.
“We’re looking [to finish the review] by November’s leaders’ meeting,” she said.
The meeting will continue on Wednesday with ASEAN’s 11 dialogue partners, including the United States, China and Russia, where ministers are slated to revisit security, economic and geopolitical challenges from a broader regional perspective.