Southeast Asia’s ability to respond to a global energy crisis triggered by the Iran war is being strained by internal conflicts, a senior Cambodian diplomat said ahead of a regional summit in the Philippines. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is seeking to strengthen cooperation, including ratifying an oil sharing agreement designed to protect fuel supplies as the region, the world’s largest oil importing area, faces mounting pressure.

Cambodia warned that unresolved tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, as well as the ongoing civil war in Myanmar following the 2021 coup, are undermining regional unity. Despite a ceasefire along the Thai Cambodian border, negotiations over disputed land areas have stalled, and Cambodia criticized Thailand’s recent move to end a longstanding maritime arrangement covering potentially oil rich areas.

Cambodia expressed hope that disputes with Thailand could be settled under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and welcomed signs of possible progress in Myanmar, including the transfer of Aung San Suu Kyi to house arrest. Regional leaders are expected to address these conflicts during the summit as they push for greater stability to better confront both the current energy crisis and longer term challenges.