Southeast Asian foreign ministers gathered Sunday for their first meeting this year under the regional bloc's new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

LANGKAWI, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan on Sunday reaffirmed that ASEAN will continue to drive its own path forward amid intensifying superpower competition in the region. With a highly geo-strategic position, cultural versatility, and economic weight, he said Southeast Asia holds massive potential.

The foreign minister highlights the importance of inclusivity and sustainability, hinting at Timor-Leste’s accession to the regional bloc.

The bloc says that any poll must be “inclusive,” but it has limited power to deter the junta from its election plans.

Malaysia has appointed a new ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar to try and implement the regional bloc’s stalled peace plan for the war-torn country.

Malaysia has placed its MADANI principles at the heart of its ASEAN chairmanship for 2025, with a focus on inclusivity and sustainability as the region navigates a volatile global landscape. Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia’s leadership will aim to set a new standard for global governance,

LANGKAWI: South-East Asia has emerged as a competitive arena for global superpowers and Asean possesses significant potential, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. Read full story

The regional bloc told a junta representative at a meeting that a poll is “not a priority at the moment," Malaysia’s foreign minister said.

Singapore’s foreign affairs minister was speaking after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Langkawi on Jan 18 and 19, the first high-level meeting hosted by Malaysia as the bloc’s 2025 chair.

Southeast Asian nations told Myanmar's military government on Sunday its plan to hold an election amid an escalating civil war should not be its priority, urging the junta to start dialogue and end hostilities immediately.

Despite Asean’s call to prioritise peace over a sham election, Myanmar’s military rulers appear bent on clinging to power no matter the cost.

After three years of failed diplomacy, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has upped the ante and warned the military junta in Myanmar to end the civil war and allow the free flow of much-needed humanitarian aid.