ASEAN summit to proceed in May with ‘bare-bones’ agenda amid Middle East conflict

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the upcoming ASEAN Leaders’ Summit will proceed in May, but in a scaled-down, “bare-bones” format focused on urgent regional concerns such as fuel supply, rising food prices and the welfare of migrant workers.

Marcos said he had consulted fellow leaders in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on whether to postpone the summit amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“The consensus that we came to is that it is precisely now that we must coordinate our efforts,” he told reporters, underscoring the need for closer cooperation during a time of global uncertainty.