EL7.AI
Macro EconomyMediumUpdated×2•Originally published 14 November 2026•Updated 14 November 2026•
4 min read

ASEAN Meeting in Manila Puts Energy Security and Regional Disputes on Summit Agenda

Key Facts

1ASEAN foreign ministers met in Manila on 14 November 2026.
2The meeting focused on preparations for the 49th summit.
3The summit will take place in Manila from 15 to 17 November 2026.
4Negotiations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea were about 70% complete.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn attended the bloc’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila on 14 November 2026, chaired by Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro. The meeting focused on preparations for the 49th summit and related meetings, as well as an exchange of views on regional and international issues. The bloc said ministers also discussed its external relations and efforts to advance ASEAN community-building. The meeting comes ahead of a three-day summit, as energy security and regional disputes top the leaders’ agenda. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said rising oil prices, security concerns and the approach of El Niño make collective action necessary, urging ASEAN to “act as one bloc.”

The 49th summit will take place in Manila from 15 to 17 November 2026, according to ASEAN, and will include meetings with leaders from its partners. The spokesperson for the Philippine ASEAN chairmanship said leaders expect to discuss additional measures and decisions to address the energy crisis linked to the Middle East crisis. ASEAN is considering establishing a shared regional oil reserve, but the proposal remains under study, according to Reuters. That puts fuel pressures and costs at the heart of a test of coordination among countries in the region, which face rising costs for imported energy. In May, ASEAN leaders noted a proposal to study shared oil storage and stressed the need to ensure the flow of energy and essential goods to address the effects of the Middle East crisis.

These efforts matter to ASEAN economies because the region is a net energy importer, according to an ASEAN energy ministers’ statement issued in April. The statement warned that disruption to energy transit routes could have wide-ranging repercussions for global oil supply chains. In a March statement, economic ministers linked disruption to energy markets, shipping routes and supply chains with higher shipping, insurance and logistics costs and inflationary pressures. Reuters reported that rising fuel costs are weighing on households and businesses across the region. At the May summit in Cebu, ASEAN leaders discussed developments in the Middle East and their implications for regional stability, energy and food security, and the safety of the bloc’s citizens. These issues return to the table in Manila as governments consider how to coordinate a regional response.

The summit agenda is not limited to energy; it also includes conflicts in Myanmar and the South China Sea, as well as the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. The Associated Press reported that draft closing statements call for these issues to be resolved peacefully, with no breakthroughs expected in the discussions. The agency said a draft joint statement reaffirms commitment to international law, freedom of navigation and the peaceful resolution of disputes. On Myanmar, the draft statement calls for an immediate end to violence, access for humanitarian aid, inclusive dialogue and the unconditional release of those unjustly detained. Leaders are expected to review implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus to address the crisis, according to Reuters. Myanmar’s military leader and foreign minister are also barred from attending the bloc’s annual meetings because their government has not fully implemented the peace plan, according to the Associated Press.

On the South China Sea, a Philippine foreign ministry official said negotiations on a code of conduct were about 70% complete, with some issues still requiring clarification and refinement. But Southeast Asian diplomats told the Associated Press that the code would not be completed this year and that negotiations would resume next year. Consultations and negotiations between China and ASEAN on the agreement date back more than two decades, the agency said. Reuters reported that leaders will hold talks with counterparts from major powers including the United States, China and Japan, while also discussing Myanmar, the South China Sea and transboundary pollution. The Associated Press said China will be represented by Premier Li Qiang, while US President Donald Trump will arrive after the main meetings conclude. Trump’s visit to Manila is expected to draw protests from workers, students and left-wing groups, according to Reuters.

Other issues on the agenda include food security, cross-border crime and online scams, according to the Philippine Information Agency. The Philippines also listed the protection and welfare of migrant workers among the issues expected to yield decisions or measures at the summit, with a particular focus on Filipino workers. The summit begins on Sunday and runs for three days, according to the Associated Press, following the preliminary foreign ministers’ meeting held on Saturday. The measures leaders adopt on energy and other areas of cooperation will be a focus of follow-up during the Manila meetings. Negotiations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea are due to resume next year, according to diplomats cited by the Associated Press.