MANILA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Leaders from ASEAN countries on Friday agreed to strengthen energy security and resilience in the region amid rising oil and commodity prices fueled by the conflict in the Middle East, according to Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos at the close of the 48th ASEAN Summit here.
Marcos said the leaders underscored the importance of maintaining stable and reliable energy supply chains, improving regional energy interconnectivity, and accelerating diversification toward renewable and alternative energy sources.
The leaders from ASEAN countries also called for the "expeditious" ratification of the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement, a regional mechanism aimed at strengthening energy stability and protecting member states.
They also pushed for the operationalization of the ASEAN Power Grid, a long-standing initiative aimed at improving cross-border electricity connectivity among the bloc's 11 member states.
The project aims to enable Southeast Asian countries to share energy resources more efficiently and to strengthen regional energy resilience.
Food security also emerged as a major concern during the summit. To address the problem, ASEAN leaders agreed to keep essential goods moving, maintain open and predictable markets, strengthen intra-ASEAN trade, and reinforce regional food security mechanisms.
The leaders also called for the swift ratification of the upgraded ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, which seeks to modernize regional trade by making it more resilient, digital and sustainable. ■
