ASEAN summits offer essential platform for gathering Southeast Asia leaders: former Singaporean diplomat

A Singaporean expert on global affairs has highlighted the significance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for its ability to convene leaders for regular summits and serving as a platform to promote dialogue and cooperation among Southeast Asian nations.

Kishore Mahbubani, a former Singaporean representative to the United Nations and a distinguished fellow at the National University of Singapore's Asia Research Institute, was speaking ahead of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits, which commenced on Wednesday in Vientiane, Laos.

"ASEAN summits are held regularly among the leaders of ASEAN and that alone is so positive, because if you look at the South Asian region, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation cannot have regular summits, the leaders cannot talk to each other. And you go to Latin America too, there's so much squabbling among the regional leaders in South America. So this is where ASEAN is a miracle. The leaders can meet regularly and talk with each other," said Mahbubani.

He also emphasized the summits' critical role in shaping ASEAN's future trajectory, noting upcoming regional issues such as Indonesia's new incoming president Prabowo Subianto taking over later this month, and next month's U.S. presidential election which will garner significant global attention.

"The October meeting is important, a new president is taking over in Indonesia, and clearly, we will see stronger new directions for ASEAN coming forward. What ASEAN is preparing for is trying to figure out what happens when a new American president is elected on November 6 [following the vote on Nov 5], and I'm sure they'll be having a lot of private conversations about how to manage that transition," he said.

The ASEAN summits, which are under Laos' ASEAN chairmanship this year, are themed "ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience," with a focus on building a more integrated, connected and resilient ASEAN community to respond to various pressing challenges and seize opportunities to bring benefits to people across the region.

The three-day event will feature related summits, including the 27th ASEAN-China Summit, the 27th ASEAN Plus Three Summit (ASEAN-China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) and the 19th East Asia Summit.

Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

ASEAN summits offer essential platform for gathering Southeast Asia leaders: former Singaporean diplomat

Polish citizens are feeling the squeeze of surging energy costs, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to roil the international energy market,

In Poland, rising fuel prices are gradually making their way into everyday life and the real economy. Many residents said higher energy costs are taking a heavy toll.

"I do think about this issue more and try to reduce my fuel consumption. Overall, everything happening right now is unsettling," said Pawel, a Warsaw resident.

"I really feel it. Prices have gone up a lot. We're trying to cope and can manage for now. Taxi fares haven't increased yet, but it's definitely getting harder," said Wiktor, another resident.

"Of course it has affected us. Because fuel prices have gone up, everything else is more expensive and costs more now," said Anita, another local resident.

Meanwhile, those working in the transport and service sectors said rising oil prices are directly impacting their businesses.

"The courier industry, like most taxi drivers, is soon going to face closure and be forced out of business. I used to drive international long-distance buses, and honestly, some people in that sector are also thinking about quitting," said Michal, another Warsaw resident.

Lukasz Goczek, a professor from the Department of Macroeconomics and Theory of Foreign Trade at the University of Warsaw, said the continued shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor, could leave global energy prices elevated for a long time, heavily impacting the world economy.

"Iran has this huge leverage. It's got the whole world in a chokehold because 20 percent of oil that's transported in the world goes through the Strait. It obviously means that the price of energy is going to increase. We see it at the petrol stations," said Goczek.

Goczek also noted that U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran have dealt a serious blow to the international order.

"I think that's pretty much, by now, the international law. If it's not that, it's definitely very, very illegal. There wasn't any reason for war. It just straightforwardly began without any warning. So it was much of a surprise. We need the international order to have peace, to prosper, to have trade," said Goczek.

Rising energy costs squeeze Polish households, businesses