ASEANEWS HEADLINE-WORLD OIL CRISIS | Russia says it’s ready to help Asean address oil crisis | Iran allows safe passage for PH ships

RUSSIAN Foreign Minister Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov

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Middle East crisis impact

Iran allows safe passage for PH ships through Strait of Hormuz

Building on recent talks, we reached a positive understanding on the safety of our seafarers and the security of our energy supply,’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro says

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(UPDATE) RUSSIAN Foreign Minister Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov has assured envoys from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) of Russia’s readiness to help the 11-member regional bloc address their oil crisis triggered by the Middle East war.

The Philippine Embassy in Russia shared this information following Lavrov’s recent meeting with Asean envoys led by Philippine Ambassador to Moscow Igor Bailen.

Bailen, chairman of the Asean Moscow Committee (AMC), led fellow Asean ambassadors in the annual working luncheon hosted for AMC by Lavrov.

The embassy said Lavrov exchanged views with the ambassadors on the developments in the Middle East. He articulated Russia’s position and its efforts to find solutions that may be acceptable to all sides.

Lavrov also assured them of Russia’s “readiness to help Asean countries with their immediate energy requirements, including oil,” the embassy posted on Facebook over the weekend.

He also reiterated Russia’s support for Asean centrality, including through Asean-Russia mechanisms, in building a stable security and cooperation architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, based on respect for international law, equality and openness, it added.

The Philippines’ sole oil refinery has secured nearly 2.5 million barrels of Russian crude out of “extreme necessity,” a stock exchange filing revealed on Monday, as the country seeks to replenish fast-dwindling fuel reserves.

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Iran allows safe passage for PH ships through Strait of Hormuz

The price of fuel hit historic highs since the US-Israeli war with Iran forced the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. most recently said stocks could last until June 30.

The Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported last week that a tanker filled with Russian crude oil had arrived at the harbor servicing refinery operator Petron Corp., a purchase unthinkable before longtime treaty ally the United States eased sanctions tied to Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Bailen shared with Lavrov updates on the Philippines’ chairmanship of Asean ahead of the 48th and 49th Asean Summits later this year.

He also mentioned the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, to which Russia has been a high contracting party since 2004, the year Lavrov assumed his current position.

The embassy said Russia and Asean look forward to the adoption of their 2026-2030 Plan of Action, which is currently being finalized by their diplomatic missions in Jakarta.

“The document will seek to enhance their strategic partnership across a wide range of areas, including countering common challenges and threats, trade and investment, high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries, digitalization, energy, and the expansion of business and youth contacts,” the embassy said.

Both sides affirmed their mutually beneficial relationship, particularly in light of this year’s 35th anniversary commemoration of Asean-Russia relations, the embassy said.