Myanmar and Gaza issues take centre stage
KUALA LUMPUR: Southeast Asian foreign ministers, converging at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre for the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, focused on efforts to find a peaceful and inclusive resolution to Myanmar's crisis during today's meetings.
Speaking to the media, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the ASEAN foreign ministers have agreed to continue engaging with all stakeholders in Myanmar to find a viable long-term solution to the ongoing crisis in the country.
'As the Chair of ASEAN, we plan to visit and talk to (the government of) Myanmar because we have already met with people and different stakeholders,' he said after attending the Informal Consultation on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus participated by the previous, current and incoming ASEAN chairs, namely Laos, Malaysia and the Philippines, respectively.
The informal consultation was followed by the Extended Informal Consultation on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus which were also attended by foreign ministers from other ASEAN member states.
The February 2021 military coup that deposed democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi further worsened the situation, prompting the regional grouping to exclude Myanmar government leaders from its summits and ministerial meetings.
Nevertheless, Myanmar's senior officials have continued to attend preparatory meetings.
Myanmar's delegation to the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Malaysia's capital was led by its Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aung Kyaw Moe.
ASEAN adopted the Five-Point Consensus in 2021 to address the crisis in Myanmar following the coup, with the consensus calling for an immediate cessation of violence, inclusive dialogue among all parties, the appointment of a special envoy, humanitarian assistance and a visit by the envoy to Myanmar.
In a related development, ASEAN foreign ministers lauded Malaysia's proactive role in addressing the Myanmar crisis and reviving efforts to implement the Five-Point Consensus.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo said both the informal consultation and the extended informal consultation on Myanmar conducted today went smoothly.
Meanwhile, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Assistant Secretary General for Political and Negotiation Affairs Dr Abdel Aziz Hamad Aluwaisheg lambasted the ongoing Israeli blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza, describing the actions of the Zionist regime as a 'war crime'.
The GCC, comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, was founded in 1981 to foster political and economic cooperation among Gulf nations.
The 46th ASEAN Summit is being held under Malaysia's 2025 chairmanship themed 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'.
This year also marks the country's fifth time at the helm of the regional bloc following its previous chairmanships in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.
In addition to the ASEAN-level meetings, the summit will also feature two important inter-regional platforms, the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit – signalling growing engagement between Southeast Asia and its strategic partners in the Gulf and China.
The ASEAN Summit and its related meetings are expected to address a wide range of pressing regional and global issues, with the situation in Myanmar remaining a critical topic of concern for ASEAN member states.
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