BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has called for stronger regional cooperation to enhance food and energy security, while reaffirming the importance of upholding international law and maintaining peace and stability in the region.
His Royal Highness made the remarks during his sabda while attending the 27th Asean Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 33rd Asean Regional Forum (ARF) and the 16th East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Philippine International Convention Centre in Manila, the Philippines, on Thursday (July 23).
At the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, His Royal Highness underscored the need for the EAS to strengthen regional food security by supporting Asean sectoral bodies in promoting sustainable food production, improving supply chain coordination and enhancing regional preparedness to ensure reliable access to food at all times.
His Royal Highness also stressed that regional peace, stability and predictability depend on upholding international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, and advancing confidence-building measures to reduce tensions.
Earlier, during the Asean Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, His Royal Highness highlighted the grouping’s significant role in supporting regional financial stability and strengthening responses to public health emergencies.
Building on the success of the Asean Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), His Royal Highness proposed establishing a regional mechanism to improve preparedness for energy supply disruptions, transportation challenges and wider supply chain disruptions through strategic reserves, information sharing and coordinated regional responses.
Speaking at the Asean Regional Forum, His Royal Highness emphasised that the increasingly complex global security environment requires closer regional cooperation, noting that no country can address today’s security challenges alone.
He reaffirmed the forum’s role in promoting dialogue, consultation and confidence-building through practical cooperation, and welcomed the adoption of the Manila Plan of Action (2026–2036), which will guide the forum’s work over the next decade.
On the sidelines of the meetings, His Royal Highness held a bilateral meeting with India’s Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Brunei Darussalam–India Enhanced Partnership and exchanged views on regional and international developments.
The series of ministerial meetings forms part of the Asean-led mechanisms aimed at strengthening regional cooperation, addressing common challenges and promoting peace, stability and sustainable development across the Asia-Pacific region. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
