The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has announced that its foreign ministers would meet next month to discuss humanitarian assistance for Myanmar, according to Cambodia, which is now serving as the group’s chair.
Cambodia’s foreign minister and special envoy to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Prak Sokhonn, is preparing for his first visit to Myanmar, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.
According to the statement, “His goals are to execute the five-point consensus that was unanimously agreed upon and that will be discussed during the upcoming ASEAN foreign ministers’ retreat,” which is set for February 16 and 17, according to the statement.
The military ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected administration in Myanmar last year has been a setback for ASEAN and its efforts to promote itself as a legitimate and united bloc, according to some analysts.
The military junta was barred from major meetings by the grouping in a surprising decision because it had failed to adhere to a five-point ASEAN “consensus” that included the cessation of hostilities and the establishment of dialogue.
Cambodia announced this month that the foreign ministers’ meeting, which would have been the first during the country’s leadership of the 10-nation bloc, had been postponed due to the inability of some ministers to attend due to scheduling conflicts.
