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Marcos Says Asean Leaders Seek Improvement in Myanmar Relations
May 8, 2026 at 11:43 AM UTCNormalizing relations with conflict-torn Myanmar was a “big subject” of discussions among regional leaders gathering this week in the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Friday.Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations want to see progress in Myanmar, which has been largely isolated from the group following the 2021 coup and imprisonment of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The discussions were “very, very vibrant” and at some point “emotional,” said Marcos, whose country holds the rotating annual Asean chair.
Marcos to ASEAN leaders: Study adjustments, best approaches amid Middle ...
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday called on fellow heads of states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to find the best course of action for the region amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.During the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, Marcos emphasized that the leaders meet at a time of “considerable challenge” due to the impacts of the tensions in the Middle East on the people.“The increasingly volatile situation in the Middle East has impacted our region, challenging us to remain agile in the face of uncertainties which threaten lifestyles, livelihoods, and lives,” he said.“Over the past months, each of our countries has had to make adjustments to modify our approaches. So we come together now to study those adjustments, to find the best approaches, to face the future, together,” he added.Marcos said that many people in ASEAN look up to their leaders not only for stability but also for reassurance and hope amid these trying times.“The work of ASEAN must continue, not despite the challenges, but because the times demand our answers to those challenges for our peoples, for our countries, for ASEAN,” he said.Stop the fighting During the 48th ASEAN Summit Plenary, Marcos also pointed out that the Middle East conflict has disrupted maritime and air transport routes, heightened risks to merchant and noncombatant vessels and aircraft, and affected the flow of energy and essential goods.With ASEAN’s longstanding commitment to peace, the Philippine President said that member-states push for the “immediate cessation of hostilities, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the restoration of safe, unimpeded and continuous transit passage in the Strait of Hormuz.”Amid the challenges, Marcos said that ASEAN leaders should work together to ensure regional energy security and resilience, stabilize food security, and uphold the safety of ASEAN nationals.“Today, we gather to confront with unity and resolve the repercussions of the situation in the Middle East and seek to advance our common commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity while ensuring that the benefits of our cooperation are felt by all our peoples,” he continued. All heads of state of the ASEAN member-countries are present in the summit, except for Myanmar who is represented by its Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Aside f...
ASEAN Ministers to Meet in Thailand on Myanmar Crisis Amid Shifting ...
Southeast Asian foreign ministers will gather in Bangkok on December 20 to discuss Myanmar's ongoing civil conflict, which has raged since a 2021 military coup. Invited by Laos, the current ASEAN chair, ministers are expected to assess the stalled Five-Point Consensus—a plan calling for an immediate halt to violence and inclusive dialogue.
Energy crisis front and centre as ASEAN leaders prepare for summit
The fallout of the Middle East crisis took centre stage at meetings of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN on Thursday, with renewed calls for a united front in the face of serious challenges for ...
