The 2026 ASEAN summit in Manila is taking shape as foreign ministers meet on Saturday, Nov. 14, ahead of leaders’ discussions scheduled for Nov. 15–17. Energy costs, regional security and the approaching El Niño are among the issues confronting the Southeast Asian bloc, according to Reuters and Philippine government reporting.

What the Manila summit will address

Reuters reported that the Philippines, chairing the meetings, is seeking a coordinated response to rising energy costs, security concerns and El Niño. Philippine government reporting says officials are also preparing discussions and outcome documents on food and energy security and transboundary haze, while leaders are expected to review ASEAN’s five-point consensus on Myanmar.

The South China Sea, Myanmar, the Middle East and Ukraine are also expected to feature in the discussions. The Associated Press reported that draft summit communiqués it reviewed call for peaceful resolutions of conflicts. Those drafts do not establish what leaders will ultimately agree, and AP said no breakthroughs were expected.

Why energy and security are linked on the agenda

Higher fuel costs have put pressure on households and businesses in import-dependent Southeast Asian economies, Reuters reported. That economic concern sits alongside questions about regional security, cross-border pollution and the bloc’s response to Myanmar’s continuing crisis. The range of topics helps explain why the meetings span several ministerial and leaders’ sessions rather than a single announcement.

When leaders’ meetings begin

Foreign ministers are meeting on Nov. 14, with the leaders’ summit and related meetings scheduled for Nov. 15–17 in Manila. The ASEAN Secretariat lists the broader summit program as running Nov. 14–17, including the preparatory meetings. The United States, China and Japan are among the major partners expected to take part in discussions with ASEAN leaders.

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Sources

Associated Press, Southeast Asian leaders will call for peaceful resolutions of conflicts; Reuters, ASEAN unity faces test as energy crisis and regional conflicts loom over summit; Philippine News Agency, DFA briefing on the summit agenda; ASEAN Secretariat, summit schedule and theme.