MANILA: The Philippines, serving as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2026, is looking to adopt various outcome documents by the end of the Aean Leaders’ Summit, including additional measures on energy and food security, as well as transboundary haze, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
Foreign affairs ministers are set to meet on Nov 14 for the Asean Ministerial Meetings, to be followed by the 49th Asean Summit and Related Meetings of world leaders at the Philippine International Convention Centre in Pasay City on Nov 15 to 17.
On transboundary haze, Foreign Affairs Spokesperson for Asean Affairs Dax Imperial said foreign ministers will first identify possible measures and elevate the recommendations to the leaders’ level.
In September, widespread forest fires in Indonesia triggered severe haze that reached several South-East Asian states, including the Philippines, leading to poor air quality that prompted authorities to suspend classes.
"I'm unable to preempt the discussions because the decision to identify the measures will, of course, lie really on the discussions of the foreign ministers and, eventually, the leaders. But there is awareness and also commitment among Asean to address this issue,” Imperial said in a press conference at the International Media Centre in Pasay City.
Beyond this, he said, the summit week will cover issues on transnational crime and online scams, where leaders will come up with new measures to protect migrant workers in the region.
The leaders will also call on their colleagues to "hasten the process” of ratification for the Asean Framework Agreement on Petroleum Security or APSA, which aims to facilitate coordinated emergency fuel sharing within the region.
"The Philippines was the first to ratify that as a sign of our commitment. I understand at the moment there are now four or five countries that have ratified, and we hope and the leaders themselves will encourage and call their colleagues to hasten the process of the ratification process,” he said.
At least 19 world leaders will travel to the Philippines for the high-level meetings, including US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva.
The Asean consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. - Bernama-PNA
