Remarks by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan at the Special Emergency Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers on the Situation in the Middle East, 13 March 2026

Excellencies,

I thank the Chair for convening this very timely Special Meeting for us to discuss the implications for what has happened in the Middle East on ASEAN, and also how we can adopt a unified response. We appreciate the ASEAN Secretariat’s briefing on the impact.

Let me start by saying that Singapore regrets the failure of negotiations that has resulted in strikes by both the US and Israel on Iran, and that in turn set off retaliatory strikes by Iran against US bases and other civilian infrastructure in the Middle East.

We condemn the continued attacks against countries in the region. I must say that the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council are key partners with all of us in ASEAN. Our leaders, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and myself, have been reaching out to our respective counterparts to express Singapore’s solidarity with all our Gulf partners.

Nearly two weeks since the start of hostilities, the situation remains deeply concerning and there is no clear off-ramp in sight. Civilian centres and energy infrastructure continue to be attacked and are unfortunately accompanied by loss of lives and disruption to vital air and shipping flows. Our thoughts go out to the victims and the civilians in the region whose lives have been lost or upended by this conflict.

We also reiterate our call for all parties to engage in negotiations to de-escalate and to seek a peaceful resolution to all outstanding issues in a manner that respects international law and the principles of the UN Charter. Singapore was one of the 135 co-sponsors of Bahrain’s UN Security Council resolution on Iran’s attacks on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan, which was tabled on 11 March 2026.

The economic consequences of the conflict are not bound by geographical distance. The Gulf countries are key producers of oil and gas while the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints. A protracted conflict will have serious consequences that extend well beyond the Middle East.

We have already seen heightened volatility in the energy markets, and we can expect ripple effects on other sectors, including transportation and chemicals, as well as on trade and investment activities more broadly. This will translate into higher consumer costs that will impact our peoples’ livelihoods. In these challenging times, ASEAN must demonstrate our solidarity in the face of this current crisis.

I commend the timely issuance of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the Situation in the Middle East that was issued on 4 March 2026. This was an opportunity for us to express ASEAN’s collective stance on the situation. The crisis is also a timely reminder that ASEAN needs to enhance our collective economic and societal resilience, as well as to intensify our efforts to strengthen regional connectivity and energy security over the long term. Our ongoing efforts to diversify our energy sources including through renewable energy and the realisation of the ASEAN Power Grid have now become even more salient

We should also continue to strengthen our regional economic frameworks to make the movement of goods easier and to remove unnecessary barriers to trade. Stable and resilient intra-ASEAN trade flows will help to mitigate supply disruptions and price volatility, especially in times like this. The ASEAN Economic Ministers will be convening a Retreat today and it will be an opportunity for them to discuss ASEAN’s economic response. Singapore will continue to support the ASEAN Chair’s efforts to forge a coordinated regional response.

Another immediate priority is ensuring the safety and security of our citizens who have been affected by the conflict. Since the outbreak of hostilities, our Embassies in the Middle East have been rendering consular assistance to those affected. Singapore has mounted two chartered flights from Muscat in Oman, on 7 and 8 March 2026, as well as dispatched a Republic of Singapore Air Force Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft to Saudi Arabia on 10 and 12 March 2026 to bring our citizens home.

In the spirit of ASEAN solidarity, I am happy to report that we have offered seats on these flights to fellow ASEAN nationals, which were taken up by citizens from Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, and the Philippines. In accordance with the ASEAN Guidelines on Consular Assistance, we will continue to provide such emergency assistance to fellow ASEAN nationals, wherever possible.

I am heartened that ASEAN Member States have been gracious in looking out for one another’s nationals in crises beyond our region. This crisis is another example of ASEAN solidarity in action. Singapore is prepared to continue doing our part and we will stand ready to work with all of you to ensure the well-being of our peoples during these difficult times.

Thank you.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

13 MARCH 2026