Amid concerns over renewed hostilities in Middle East, Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday (July 21) reiterated the need to uphold international law.
Foreign ministers from the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have gathered in Manila this week against a backdrop of instability since the US and Iran resumed open conflict, raising fears about energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as inflation and global growth.
Writing in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening, Dr Balakrishnan said these events are a reminder of how easily countries can become hostage to events occurring far beyond their borders.
"As trade-dependent economies, we also have an enduring strategic interest in keeping the Straits of Malacca and Singapore open and free," the foreign affairs minister stated.
He also underscored the need to uphold international law, including the right of transit passage in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
"We have consistently worked to uphold this right in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, and the same principles apply in the South China Sea, where Singapore has consistently upheld the rights of all states to freedom of navigation and overflight."
Turning to Myanmar, Dr Balakrishnan said Asean foreign ministers reaffirmed the five-point consensus and emphasised the need for concrete and measurable progress in its implementation.
This includes a permanent cessation of violence, the release of all political prisoners, and the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout Myanmar.
"These remain essential steps towards creating the conditions for an inclusive and durable peaceful resolution," he added, reiterating points made at a recent engagement between the bloc's foreign ministers and Tin Maung Swee on July 12.
Tin was appointed foreign minister by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing after the country held what many described as a fraudulent election.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Dr Balakrishnan also held "wide-ranging discussions" with his Asean counterparts on other topics.
These include: deepening regional integration, strengthening Asean's capacity to respond to developments in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and supply chain resilience, as well as harnessing the potential of the digital and green economies.
Over this week, Dr Balakrishnan will also be participating in the post ministerial conferences (PMC), 27th Asean Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting (FMM), 16th East Asia Summit FMM, 33rd Asean Regional Forum, as well as the commemorative activity of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
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