(Front row L-R) Myanmar Permanent Secretary Hau Khan Sum, Malaysia's Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Amran Mohamed Zin, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, East Timor's Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Vietnam's Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang, Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, Singapore's Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert Chua, Brunei's Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof, Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Indonesia's Director General for ASEAN Cooperation Ina Hagniningtyas Krisnamurthi, Laos Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane, and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn pose for a photo with representatives from the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Representatives during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay, Metro Manila on July 20, 2026. (Photo by Ezra Acayan / POOL / AFP)
Manila: The 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and the associated coordination meetings convened in Manila on Monday.
Held under the theme "Navigating Our Future, Together", the 2026 event is chaired by the Philippines and widely assembles the foreign ministers of the bloc's 10 member states, amid striking attendance of international partners.
Participating in this meeting are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Running until July 24, the meetings are set to discuss an array of issues that touch on the security and stability of the region, primarily the consequences of the ongoing global crises, such as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and their direct implications for energy security, supply chains, and food security in Southeast Asian countries.
In their deliberations, diplomatic leaders are poised to take stock of pending security situations in the region, including Myanmar's ongoing crisis and South China Sea tensions, as ASEAN seeks to strengthen unity and preserve its central role in regional affairs.
Alongside the political issues, the ministers are set to discuss mechanisms for accelerating the transition to green energy and deepening digital economic partnerships to address the current economic challenges.
The coming days will see the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit ministerial meeting, with the events concluding with a high-level commemorative ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), reflecting the bloc's enduring commitment to peace and shared prosperity.
Established in 1967, ASEAN is made up of 10 Southeast Asian nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
