Knock, knock, knockin’ on Asean’s door

Time to network? Some diplomats feel Asean needs to engage more external partners beyond the grouping to safely navigate current geopolitical tensions. — ST/ANN

TWO days after Asean foreign ministers held a virtual meeting to discuss the conflict in the Middle East, a much welcomed announcement came from Japan.

Tokyo announced US$10bil (RM39.5bil) in financial support for South-East Asian countries to help us cope with soaring crude oil prices due to what’s happening in the Middle East.