00:00The fallout from the Middle East crisis took center stage at the start of the ASEAN meeting today
00:05as regional leaders face growing pressure over energy and food security.
00:10The Philippines, this year's ASEAN chair, is pushing for faster approval of a regional oil-sharing agreement
00:17as Southeast Asian economies grapple with rising supply risk.
00:23ASEAN's 11 member states, home to nearly 700 million people,
00:28remained heavily dependent on imported energy and were among the region's hardest hit by the recent conflict involving Iran.
00:35The economic minister's meeting on Wednesday discussed ways to diversify energy sources,
00:41secure supply routes and improve coordination during crises.
00:45Philippine Foreign Secretary Teresa Lazarus said ASEAN must strengthen its crisis response
00:50and institutional readiness amid growing global uncertainty.
00:54The energy crisis is also expected to test the Philippines' leadership as ASEAN chair
00:59while the bloc continues to deal with internal challenges,
01:03including Myanmar's civil war and tensions along the Thailand-Cambodia border.
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