Myanmar Issue to be Discussed in Special Session at Asia-Pacific Roundtable in Malaysia

YANGON, June 30 A special session will be held to discuss the current situation in Myanmar at the 39th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR), which will be held in Malaysia from June 30 to July 2, said Datuk Prof. Dr. Mohd Faiz Abdullah, Executive Chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia (ISIS Malaysia). He stated that discussions regarding Myanmar's affairs during the ASEAN Summit held in Cebu City, Philippines, were relatively calm, adhering to the official stances of ASEAN member states. "Therefore, at this year's APR, detailed discussions will be held not only in the main sessions but also in a special session for Myanmar's affairs. Policy experts, think tank organizations, and Myanmar affairs experts attending the APR will discuss Myanmar's situation in greater depth," said Mohd Faiz. In addition to the Myanmar issue, this year's APR conference will also focus on discussions regarding the South China Sea issue, the situation in West Asia, tariffs, energy shortage problems, and the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, it was stated. Mohd Faiz said that the APR has continued to grow over its 39-year history and continues to be relevant today. While the first session had only about 30 to 40 attendees, this year's event is expected to draw around 400 delegates from 30 countries. Following discussions on themes such as "Interregnum" and "Recalibration" in previous years, the 39th APR this year will be held under the theme "Accelerating Agency and Action," aiming to identify and discuss factors that can drive regional leadership and change amidst evolving geopolitical landscapes. The 3-day APR is a flagship international conference of ISIS Malaysia and will continue until July 2. APR is one of Southeast Asia's most important Track 2 diplomatic conferences, discussing key issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region, and is ranked among the top 20 global strategy and security conferences. The conference is organized by ISIS Malaysia on behalf of ASEAN-ISIS, which is a network of leading policy research institutions and think tanks in Southeast Asia. The APR conference annually brings together over 300 policy experts and researchers from around the world to frankly discuss issues affecting regional security, stability, sustainability, and economic development, aiming to provide recommendations on how governments and businesses should navigate an increasingly complex strategic environment.