This year’s Asean chair calls on the bloc to ensure investment ‘certainty’ at the opening of the foreign ministers meeting in Manila
2-MIN READ2-MIN1ReutersandBloombergPublished: 12:28pm, 13 Mar 2026Asean should position itself as a safe haven for investment amid worsening global volatility, the host country said as the region’s economic ministers kicked off their meeting in Manila on Friday.“Let us ensure that Asean remains a region where investment is met with certainty and where cooperation creates genuine opportunity for our people,” Philippine Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said in her opening speech.
“Geopolitical tensions are no longer distant headlines. They are immediate economic shocks, they manifest in volatile energy markets, disrupted shipping lanes and shifting investor confidence,” Roque said. “Asean resilience is no longer aspiration, it is our primary shield.”
