South Korea is proposing to expand the scope of its rice emergency aid initiative with Japan, China and the 11 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states to respond to the deepening impacts caused by developments in the Middle East to the region.

Speaking at the 27th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Thursday, Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the Strait of Hormuz blockade has exposed vulnerabilities in the critical global trade routes and has since put “severe strain” on food and energy security.

The Korean top diplomat said the ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan, Korea) can use this as a window of opportunity to demonstrate its value as a regional mechanism.

He said the 11 ASEAN states and the three dialogue partners must mobilize the “necessary political will and engage technical experts” to explore and articulate an actionable roadmap from 2028 onwards.

“What can we make this time? On food, we already have a tested mechanism of APTERR (ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve). The time has come to build upon this success by expanding its scope beyond rice,” he said.

“On energy, our experts have already been exploring possibilities for region-wide cooperation for over a decade. Now is the time to turn the accumulated thinking into concrete action,” he added.

APTERR is a regional cooperation under the ASEAN Plus Three framework that seeks to strengthen food security during emergencies, alleviate poverty and eradicate malnourishment without distorting normal trade.

Under this mechanism, countries earmark emergency rice reserves to aid victims in times of emergency, such as disasters.

Beyond disaster relief, the ASEAN Plus Three serves as a key framework in promoting peace, stability and security between its 14 member states.

Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying, for her part, said China will fully leverage the ASEAN Plus Three as a “main vehicle of East Asia cooperation.”

“China is ready to work with all parties to fully implement the 2023 to 2027 work plan: deepen cooperation in traditional areas, actively expand cooperation in emerging areas so as to further improve the resilience and vitality of the region and bring more benefits to the people,” she said.

In their joint communique released on Thursday, the ASEAN foreign ministers said they will “further deepen” the ASEAN Plus Three cooperation, specifically on food and energy security, and disaster preparedness.

The ASEAN member states include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. (PNA)