The 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on Thursday (July 23), with the escalating US-Iran conflict and severe disruptions in the Hormuz Strait becoming the main focus of this year’s meeting.
According to a draft joint communique seen by Agence France-Presse, ASEAN foreign ministers are expected to call for the protection of international straits navigation and overflight freedoms by the end of the meeting, ensuring that ships can pass through the Hormuz Strait unimpeded.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was attending the meeting in Manila, warned ASEAN officials this week that if Iran controls the Hormuz Strait, it will set a “dangerous precedent.”
Rubio said, “Fundamental principles of freedom of navigation are under threat.”
The forum was attended by representatives from 27 countries, including foreign ministers and senior officials from the United States, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, and the European Union.
Established in 1994, the ASEAN Regional Forum is an important platform for dialogue and cooperation on security issues in the Asia-Pacific region and is a part of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting. The agenda of the meeting includes traditional and non-traditional challenges such as maritime security, maritime cooperation, terrorism, and climate security.
In her opening remarks, Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro stated that countries are convening this meeting amid “profound geopolitical and geo-economic uncertainties.”
She said, “These issues transcend borders and underscore a reality: no country can address the complexities of today’s security environment alone.”
With 11 member countries, ASEAN’s combined GDP is around $3.8 trillion. Due to the region’s heavy reliance on Middle Eastern oil, Southeast Asian countries face risks of energy shortages, price hikes, and exacerbating inflation following the blockade of the Hormuz Strait.