Myanmar Moves to Rebuild ASEAN Ties! New Committee Holds First Meeting on Five-Point Consensus

YANGON, Oct 14 — Myanmar has convened the first coordination meeting of its ASEAN Affairs Committee as the country seeks to strengthen engagement with the regional bloc and explore ways to restore its role and rights within ASEAN. The inaugural meeting was held on Oct 13 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and brought together senior officials and representatives from several government ministries.

Officials from the President’s Office, Defence Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry, Information Ministry, and Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement were among those represented at the meeting.

New Committee to Strengthen ASEAN Engagement

According to the report, Myanmar established the ASEAN Affairs Committee to provide an additional channel for engagement and cooperation with ASEAN, alongside its existing contacts with the regional grouping.

During the meeting, Myanmar’s foreign minister said the country had continued efforts to implement the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus while safeguarding its sovereignty and national interests. He also said Myanmar was pursuing bilateral engagement with individual ASEAN member states according to the country’s priorities.

Five-Point Consensus Takes Centre Stage

The deputy foreign minister briefed participants on measures taken to implement individual elements of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus in line with the government’s roadmap.

The Five-Point Consensus has remained a central framework in ASEAN’s approach to the Myanmar crisis since it was agreed in 2021.

Myanmar officials at the meeting maintained that the country had made efforts to implement the framework while protecting national sovereignty and interests. The foreign minister also described ASEAN’s treatment of Myanmar since 2021 as “discriminatory”; that is Myanmar’s stated position, rather than an independent characterization by The Star.

Myanmar Discusses Restoring Its Role in ASEAN

Participants also exchanged views on approaches Myanmar could pursue to restore what officials described as the country’s original role and rights within ASEAN.

The discussions were based partly on Myanmar’s existing bilateral relationships with individual ASEAN member states, indicating that country-to-country engagement could remain an important part of its broader regional strategy.

The establishment of the committee therefore signals a more structured mechanism for Myanmar to coordinate its ASEAN-related engagement while discussions over the Five-Point Consensus and its participation in the regional grouping continue.