Energy crisis front and centre as ASEAN leaders start summit

Conflicts far beyond Southeast Asia are expected to dominate discussions of leaders of the regional ASEAN bloc meeting in the Philippines, with the Middle East crisis posing significant challenges for its fuel import-dependent economies.



The meetings on the island of Cebu on Thursday and Friday will include leaders and foreign and economic ministers of the 11-member grouping, with energy and food supply security top priorities for the region of nearly 700 million people.



The Middle East conflict has left many Asian countries scrambling for alternative oil supplies, with ASEAN ministers convening special meetings ahead of the summit, and the Philippines hopeful of ratification of an oil-sharing framework agreement.



"The ongoing crisis in the Middle East and its far-reaching repercussions, including the disruptions to energy flows, trade routes, food supply chains and the welfare of our nationals, remind us that developments beyond our region can have immediate and profound effects on ASEAN," Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said in opening a meeting of her counterparts on Thursday.



"ASEAN needs to strengthen our crisis coordination and institutional readiness in times of crisis," Lazaro said.