Foreign Minister attends second special meeting on Middle East issue

The Vietnamese minister highlighted the significance of ASEAN unity and centrality, urging the bloc to uphold its principled stance and strengthen its role when engaging with relevant parties to ensure the safety of ASEAN vessels and citizens in the region.

ASEAN should enhance its strategic autonomy, promote cross-pillar and cross-sectoral coordination, and improve its capacity to cope with complex future challenges, suggested Le.

The Vietnamese Minister called for accelerating key connectivity projects such as the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP), while remaining ready to activate emergency support mechanisms under the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA).

He also called for an inter-sectoral approach that closely links energy security with food security, and suggested exploring the expansion of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) to include other essential commodities and critical agricultural inputs, alongside strengthening cooperation with ASEAN partners to address supply risks.

The same day, ASEAN Foreign Ministers issued a statement on developments in the Middle East, welcoming the recently reached ceasefire agreement and calling on all parties to exercise restraint, act responsibly, and pursue negotiations to resolve disputes via peaceful and diplomatic means in order to achieve sustainable peace.

The statement emphasized the importance of maintaining security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), while calling for the uninterrupted flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. 

The regional ministers also reaffirmed the obligation to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as ensure the safety of humanitarian personnel and UN peacekeeping forces./.