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Myanmar leaders' return to ASEAN meetings 'still far off', bloc's envoy says

From The Straits Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • Myanmar's leaders are unlikely to participate in high-level ASEAN meetings in the near future, according to the bloc's envoy.
  • The Philippines' foreign minister stated that their return is "still far off."
  • This reflects the ongoing political instability in Myanmar following the 2021 coup.

The prospect of Myanmar's leaders returning to top-level Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings remains distant, according to the bloc's current envoy. The Philippines' foreign minister, serving as the ASEAN envoy, indicated on Thursday that the participation of Myanmar's leadership in significant ASEAN gatherings is "still far off." This statement underscores the continued diplomatic isolation of Myanmar's ruling junta within the regional bloc. ASEAN has previously barred Myanmar's political representatives from attending its ministerial meetings following the military coup in February 2021. The decision was a response to the junta's failure to implement a peace plan agreed upon by ASEAN leaders. The ongoing political crisis and the junta's actions continue to prevent Myanmar's full reintegration into regional diplomatic processes. The envoy's remarks suggest that substantial progress on the peace plan is unlikely in the immediate future, prolonging Myanmar's exclusion from key ASEAN dialogues.

still far off

— Philippines' foreign ministerThe minister stated that the participation of Myanmar leaders in top ASEAN meetings is unlikely in the near future.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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