ASEAN ministers to express alarm over Iran war in Manila meeting

Myanmar’s civil war is also on the agenda. A five-point peace plan issued by ASEAN in 2021 has failed to end the violence. More than 8,100 people have been killed and nearly 22,500 remain detained, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights-monitoring group. ASEAN foreign ministers met their Myanmar counterpart for the first time in five years this month in Bangkok, drawing criticism from rights groups who said the bloc abandoned its ban on engaging senior Myanmar officials. Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, who serves as ASEAN’s special envoy, defended the meeting. “The path to peace can only be obtained through resolute diplomacy with all parties to the conflict,” she said.

Negotiations on a South China Sea code of conduct will be discussed with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The talks have dragged on for years, and confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels have intensified in recent years. The territorial disputes involve China, Taiwan, and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also attending the talks. Neither Rubio nor Lavrov have announced plans to meet each other or Ukraine’s top diplomat, Andrii Sybiha, who has been invited to attend a Friday ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Sybiha is not a participant in the main ASEAN meetings that Lavrov and Rubio will attend.

The meetings run through Friday.