By Ambassador (p) Gheorghe Savuica*
Myanmar is one of the 11 member states of ASEAN.
In 2021 a military coup d’état took place in this country which was denounced by ASEAN. As a firm response to this event, the ASEAN leaders, at an emergency summit in April 2021, agreed to institute a Five-Point Consensus, which contains calls for an immediate end to violence, constructive dialogue involving all parties, mediation by a special envoy of the ASEAN chair, the delivery of humanitarian assistance and access for the envoy to meet the parties concerned. On Five-Point Consensus there are still positive and less positive appreciations and remarks in Southeast Asia, maybe not only, regarding the effect and implementation of the plan.
Further, ASEAN restricted Myanmar’s top political leaders from attending its main summits. The decision is still in force.
On the 3rd of April 2026, as a result of indirect presidential elections, following the 2025-26 Myanmar general elections, Min Aung Hlaing, the country’s military leader since the 2021 coup, won the elections and became the President of Myanmar, who is presenting his mandate as being of a civil administration.
ASEAN decided not to recognize the results of the elections and continues to maintain this position. The elections were controversial and widely boycotted.
At its summit in May 2026, ASEAN, chaired by the Philippines, expressed deep concern over the continued conflict and humanitarian situation in Myanmar, stressing that progress on the Five-Point Consensus remained minimal. The Association reaffirmed that the plan continued to be its principal reference for addressing the crisis in Myanmar.
However, immediately after the elections, the Myanmar leaders started an intense campaign to approach ASEAN countries with an aim to normalize the bilateral and association relationships with them. Concurrently, as part of the campaign, the new Myanmar authorities announced the release of political prisoners and the relocation of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi from prison to house arrest, and invited key ethnic armed groups to take part in fresh peace talks.
Laos was the first ASEAN member country to officially receive the visit of the new President of Myanmar.
In parallel, Thailand took the initiative to determine ASEAN to become positive and active vis-à-vis the necessity to normalize the relations with Myanmar.
Initially, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers agreed to hold a virtual meeting with Myanmar's top diplomat at an unspecified date. Later on, it was decided to hold such meeting as an informal in-person meeting.
A few days before this informal in-person ministerial meeting, as well as during it, Myanmar Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tin Maung Swe, held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from several ASEAN member countries.
For the first time since 2021, the above mentioned informal foreign affairs ministerial meeting between ASEAN and Myanmar was organized in Thailand, on July 12, 2026. Malaysia and Cambodia did not participate. One possible reason of the absence of Malaysia could be the strong call for a not participation position by SAIFUDDIN ABDULLAH, the Indera Mahkota MP and a former foreign minister of Malaysia.
The ASEAN PARLIAMENTARIES FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (aseanmp.org) has called the ASEAN and its member states “to reject steps toward legitimizing Myanmar’s military junta”, voicing grave concern on informal meeting in Bangkok.
We present, hereby, the statement issued on July 15 by the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, as Chair of ASEAN in 2026, on the content and results of the concerned meeting:
“Secretary Lazaro Convenes Back-to-Back Meetings on Myanmar in Bangkok and Pattaya, Thailand
BANGKOK 14 July 2026 — The Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar, Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, concluded back-to-back meetings on 12-13 July to discuss the political situation in Myanmar. The meetings were hosted by Thai Foreign Minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, in Bangkok and Pattaya, Thailand, respectively.
On 12 July, the Secretary held a bilateral meeting with Myanmar counterpart, U Tin Maung Swe, where they had a candid and constructive discussion on advancing the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and how ASEAN may assist Myanmar in its aspiration of normalizing its relations with ASEAN.
The Secretary also chaired the Informal Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers with Myanmar counterpart, where the latter gave a briefing on the latest developments in Myanmar, which covered the government’s efforts to implement the action points relevant to the 5PC, the government’s 100-day Peace Plan, and measures to address transnational crimes, among others. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers underscored the 5PC as the main reference in addressing the situation in the country, particularly in promoting concrete and measurable progress in the 5PC’s implementation. The Secretary also committed to lead a humanitarian mission in Myanmar in the fourth quarter of this year, aimed at expanding access to areas in need of assistance. The proposed mission gained the support of all stakeholders. This meeting is significant as this is the first time that ASEAN Foreign Ministers had an in-person engagement with the Myanmar counterpart since 2021, as mandated by the Leaders during the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu. The Special Envoy reiterated that Myanmar remains an integral part of ASEAN.
On 13 July, the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar engaged with Myanmar ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), as well as representatives of the National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) to discuss the way forward on the inclusive national political dialogue between and among parties in Myanmar. All sides expressed openness to the dialogue process and emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue and ensuring careful preparation of all parties involved. END”
In our reading, without ignoring the importance of different pros and cons positions on the subject, it is clear that the meeting will not have an immediate impact on the official position of ASEAN on the situation in Myanmar. It is of a great importance haw this move will be taken and appreciated by the Myanmar authorities. Certainly, such a move will be noticed and judged by concrete measures towards reaching a just solution to the situation in Myanmar.
A great importance in avoiding possible misunderstandings in the public, social and political circles in Myanmar resides from the above mentioned engagement on the same day, i.e., 13 July, by the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar with Myanmar ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), as well as representatives of the National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) to discuss the way forward on the inclusive national political dialogue between and among parties in Myanmar.
There no doubts that the informal in-person ministerial meeting will help to consolidate the unity in ASEAN, in general as well as on the Myanmar topic, particularly, under the current dangerous world geopolitical, economic and security circumstances.
Desirable will be a rapid solution of the situation in Myanmar, which is still far to a full positive end result. A more flexible position of the current Myanmar authorities is the key to achieving such urgent target.
IRSEA is following with great attention the developments in Myanmar and published/ republished important analysis on this topic.
* The author is the Founder and President of IRSEA and Founder and Honorary President of Romania-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is a graduate of Moscow State Institute of International Relations. As a career diplomat with over four decades of diplomatic service, an University recognized specialist on Southeast Asia and ASEAN, speaker of Bahasa Indonesia, Russian and English, he represented Romania as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Pakistan and Indonesia and Chief of Mission, with Cabinet Letter, to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cyprus, Finland and Estonia.
He published multiple articles, thought-pieces and commentaries reflecting his views on current dynamics in International Affairs and the ongoing developments related to the greater scope of Europe Asia relations. He authored several major chapters in edited volumes on Romania’s Foreign Policy, published by the Romanian Academy.
Ambassador (p) Savuica is a former Director of the Republic of Moldova Division, former Director of the Asia Pacific Division and former Director General of the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of ROMANIA.
He is married and has two daughters, a granddaughter and a grandson.