ASEAN wants to show practical progress in Myanmar's peace plan

The Irrawaddy Times July 14 ASEAN foreign ministers met with the Myanmar military government's foreign minister in Bangkok on July 12 and reaffirmed that the ASEAN 5-point peace plan is the most important and the need to show significant progress, said Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.The meeting was the first in-person meeting between ASEAN foreign ministers and Myanmar military government diplomats since the military coup in 2021. Balakrishnan said the ASEAN ministers confirmed the importance of the 5 common agreements and the plan is still valid. Touch waterHe added that they all want to see practical progress. When asked if inviting the Burmese military regime before there is any progress could set a bad precedent, he explained that their engagement is not only with the junta in Nay Pyi Taw. They have various ethnic armed organizations (EAO) and the peopleBalakrishnan said that the situation in Myanmar is very complicated, and the main point is to engage in a wide variety of ways in which all relevant parties of the ASEAN can participate."It is not a matter that will be resolved once and for all, but will gradually change, so these interactions are very important," he explained. 20 organizations from Myanmar issued a joint statement on Sunday and expressed their concern about the meeting between the junta minister and ASEAN, who are rejecting ASEAN's peace plan, and that ASEAN does not have enough interaction with other organizations.Reference – Asia OneRef; Asean foreign ministers want Myanmar to make 'demonstrable progress' on peace plan: Vivian Balakrishnan The post ASEAN wants to show practical progress in the Myanmar peace plan appeared first on Ayeyarwaddy Times.