MORE than 1,000 delegates from 62 countries from AsiaPacific, Europe, Africa, and the Americas are converging in Manila this week for one of the year’s biggest diplomatic gatherings.
Despite the scale, authorities say there will be no suspension of classes and no special lanes on city roads.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers-except Myanmar’s-opened their meeting in Manila Monday, their third inperson session this year and seventh overall if virtual and informal meetings are included.
Alongside the 10 Asean ministers, top diplomats from dialogue partners such as the United States, Russia, China, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom are expected in the coming days.
Hellen Barbers de la Vega, directorgeneral of the Asean National Organizing Council, said preparations remain manageable: ‘As of this writing, we have no indication, re: suspension of classes.’
In Cebu last May, classes were suspended when Asean leaders met for the 48th Summit.
De la Vega added there is no need yet for designated Asean lanes on city roads, though special lanes are in place inside the airport for arriving delegates.
The Manila meetings include Asean Plus One sessions with dialogue partners and Asean Plus Three sessions with China, Japan, and South Korea. There will also be conferences on East Asian cooperation for Palestinian development and on MekongJapan initiatives.
Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Asean SecretaryGeneral Kao Kim Hourn will hold trilateral meetings each with Trkiye, Norway, Switzerland, and Brazil foreign ministers.
On Thursday, Asean ministers will meet separately with China, Japan, and South Korea, then convene with the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) to tackle regional and global security issues.
Later that day, the 19 members of the East Asia Summit-comprising 11 Asean states plus Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the United States-will hold their own foreign ministers’ meeting.
The highlight is Friday’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Asean Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), the bloc’s peace blueprint. In addition to the 58 current signatories, five or six new countries-including Sweden, Poland, Romania, Cyprus, and Lithuania-are expected to accede.
DFA Spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial said the weeklong meetings provide ‘a very good opportunity, a venue for dialogue partners in Asean to engage and discuss whatever is impacting not only regionally but also globally.’
Beyond the South China Sea disputes, Asean will address the Myanmar crisis, Cambodia-Thailand border tensions, and global conflicts including the IranUS war, RussiaUkraine war, and the Korean Peninsula.
Eight Middle East states-Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE-are already TAC parties, along with Russia, Ukraine, South Korea, and North Korea.
Imperial emphasized Asean’s resilience: ‘Despite the challenges, it remains united, it remains towards the path of maintaining Asean centrality…adhering to the principles of the Asean Charter.’
Decisions reached by the foreign ministers will be elevated to Asean leaders and dialogue partners, who are expected to meet again in Manila this November.