Myanmar and Middle East fighting loom over ASEAN foreign ministers’ talks

Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering in the Philippines for meetings shaped by renewed fighting in the Middle East and divisions over Myanmar’s place in regional diplomacy.

Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are meeting in Manila for several days. They will be joined by counterparts from the United States, China, Japan, Russia and other countries.

Myanmar is expected to be one of the most sensitive issues. The country has been formally excluded from such summits since its military seized power in 2021, a move that the source said triggered a bloody civil war.

In May, ASEAN leaders met in Cebu and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos called for a “fine-tuning” of the bloc’s long-stalled five-point plan to end Myanmar’s civil war.

Philippines ASEAN spokesman Dominic Imperial told reporters Monday that engagement remained important, including with Myanmar authorities and other Myanmar stakeholders.

Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar and hosts millions of its refugees, has led calls for Myanmar’s full reintegration. Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told AFP last week that Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing would visit in August. That followed a Bangkok-hosted meeting between Myanmar’s foreign minister and a group of ASEAN counterparts.

Sihasak said it was best to bring Myanmar back into the fold and said that after five years there was a need to talk, listen and allow Myanmar’s authorities to explain.

Other ASEAN members have criticized the lack of progress on the five-point peace plan. Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan told reporters in May that Malaysia remained opposed to high-level talks while “oppression is still taking place.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was scheduled to arrive in Manila on Tuesday morning. The renewed Middle East fighting is placing economic strain on traditional US allies, including the import-dependent Philippines. The Philippines declared a national energy emergency in March and has sought fuel from more sources, including Russian oil. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was also due to arrive Tuesday.

Before leaving Washington on Monday, Rubio said he was open to possible sideline meetings with Lavrov and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi. Beijing officially confirmed Wang’s attendance on Monday. A Rubio-Wang meeting would come days after US President Donald Trump accused Beijing of meddling in US elections.

Energy security is also expected to be discussed, including efforts to ratify ASEAN’s Framework Agreement on Petroleum Security fuel-sharing scheme. In May, members approved a push for an ASEAN Power Grid intended to connect national electricity networks and enable cross-border power trading.

Rubio is also due to meet President Marcos as part of a strengthened US partnership with the Philippines. The disputed South China Sea is expected to be on the agenda. The source said Chinese and Philippine ships regularly clash in the waterway, which Beijing claims nearly in full despite an international ruling that its claim has no legal basis.

The Philippines has said it hoped to complete a Code of Conduct between ASEAN and China before its year as rotating chair ends. Analysts cited in the source have suggested that any deal Beijing would agree to sign would lack force.