UK backs new ASEAN action plan as foreign secretary signals long-term regional commitment

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UK backs ASEAN action plan

Highlights

UK backs a new five-year ASEAN-UK Plan of Action and joint ASEAN Indo-Pacific statement, reinforcing multilateral cooperation on maritime security, energy, and emerging technologies.
Foreign secretary emphasizes the UK's continued support for ASEAN centrality, signaling interest in permanent ASEAN Regional Forum membership and strengthening the rules-based regional order.
UK attributes regional and domestic economic pressures to Iran-related disruptions, affirms collaboration with allies to restore stability in the Strait of Hormuz, and pledges ongoing support for Ukraine and Middle East peace initiatives.

Manila meeting sets out UK-ASEAN priorities

As stated in remarks published by GOV.UK, the foreign secretary says he travels directly to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting as a sign of solidarity with ASEAN countries and of the importance the UK attaches to the partnership. He says the UK’s commitment remains strong under the new prime minister and highlights the fifth anniversary of the ASEAN-UK Dialogue Partnership as a point to mark progress and reinforce continuity.

He says the partnership has already helped advance the ASEAN Power Grid, deepen cooperation against online scams and organised crime, and strengthen ties in areas including health security and education. He also welcomes the adoption of a new Plan of Action for the next five years, alongside a joint statement on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, saying both frameworks reaffirm support for international law and cooperation on shared challenges.

The foreign secretary adds that maritime security, energy security, economic resilience and emerging technologies are becoming increasingly shaped by multilateral cooperation. He says the UK remains firmly behind ASEAN centrality and the rules-based regional architecture led by ASEAN, and expresses hope that the UK becomes a permanent member of the ASEAN Regional Forum soon.

Security tensions shape wider regional agenda

The remarks place the UK-ASEAN agenda against a backdrop of heightened global instability, with the foreign secretary citing conflicts in Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere. He says ASEAN partners are feeling the effects of the Iran conflict through pressure on their economies, living standards and seafarers, while UK families and businesses are also facing cost-of-living effects linked to the disruption.

He welcomes the memorandum of understanding reached in June between the U.S. and Iran, while condemning what he describes as unjustified Iranian attacks on shipping and on Gulf partners since then. He says the UK government is working with others to de-escalate the conflict, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and uphold freedom of navigation.

Beyond the Middle East, he says the UK continues to stand with Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s aggression. He also says that, following the UK government’s recognition of the State of Palestine, London will keep working with partners to support a just and lasting peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis.

In our earlier article on the U.S., South Korea and Japan’s trilateral talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Manila, we outlined how the three partners stepped up coordination with ASEAN on defense, maritime and cyber security, and wider regional stability. We also noted their focus on derisking critical supply chains and advancing energy diversification, including next steps on small modular reactor cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

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