On 13 April 2026, H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the Second Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the Situation in the Middle East via videoconference. The Meeting was chaired by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines in her capacity as the ASEAN Chair.

The meeting discussed developments in the Middle East, particularly the ceasefire and negotiations between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and called on both parties to pursue diplomatic means towards a permanent resolution of the conflict. The meeting further reaffirmed the importance of maritime security, safety of the seafarers and those involved in the conflict, and upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), in and above chokepoints used for international navigation particularly in the Strait of Hormuz.

The meeting also discussed ASEAN’s preparations to address the multifaceted impacts of the conflict in the Middle East by strengthening existing ASEAN mechanisms, including (1) on energy, through expediting the ratification process of the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement for the early implementation, strengethening the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) to the fullest potential, and mobilising investment in renewable energy to accelerate the energy transition, particularly in solar energy and biofuels; and (2) on food, through expanding the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve mechanism to cover other essential food commodities, and promoting cooperation across the entire food production chain.