yanmar’s Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Hau Khan Sum, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, East Timor’s Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang, Philippine’s Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Brunei’s Second Foreign Minister Erywan Pehin Yusof, Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono hold hands for a group photo session at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Cebu City, Philippines, May 7, 2026. (Aaron Favila/Pool via Reuters)
CEBU, Philippines —The Philippines’ foreign minister on Thursday told Southeast Asian ministers the ASEAN bloc needs to strengthen its crisis coordination, as the region reels from the economic fallout of the Middle East conflict.
“Our discussions at the special meetings have pointed out that ASEAN needs to strengthen our crisis coordination and institutional readiness in times of crisis,” Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said at the opening of the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting.
She said ministers would also be briefed on the Myanmar crisis and the status of a peace plan.
—Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Martin Petty
The United States is closely monitoring the situation with U.S. travelers on board the luxury cruise ship that was hit by a hantavirus outbreak, the...
