ASEAN foreign ministers have expressed disappointment with the limited progress in and lack of commitment to implement the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) by Myanmar's ruling State Administration Council (SAC). The bloc's top diplomats also called for respect of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity with regard to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The statements came in a joint communique of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meeting in Phnom Penh under the theme “ASEAN ACT: Addressing Challenges Together”, which kicked off on August 3.
In their joint communique released on August 5, the ministers reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to addressing common challenges and to maintaining the momentum of ASEAN Community-building efforts with a strong sense of togetherness.
During the AMM, they also discussed the need to further strengthen engagement and cooperation with dialogue partners and external partners, including through existing ASEAN-led mechanisms, as well as the importance of ASEAN centrality, credibility and relevance in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in regional and global endeavours amid uncertainty and rapid changes in Southeast Asia and beyond, the stat joint communique said.
On Myanmar, the statement said: “We were deeply disappointed by the limited progress in and lack of commitment of the Nay Pyi Taw authorities to the timely and complete implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.
“We recommended that the ASEAN Summit assesses the progress towards the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus by the State Administration Council to guide the decision on the next steps,” it said.
They also reiterated their commitment to peace and stability in the region, saying ASEAN is ready to help Myanmar return to normalcy in a positive, peaceful, and constructive manner, including in the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
“We agreed that the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar shall engage all Myanmar relevant stakeholders at the earliest,” the statement said, referring to Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn.
With regard to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, they reiterated their call for the respect of sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity, and for compliance with international laws and the UN Charter.
“The Meeting underlined the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities and the creation of an enabling environment for the peaceful resolution of conflict. We supported the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General in the search for a peaceful solution.
“We also called for the facilitation of rapid, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance for those in need in Ukraine, and for the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and persons in vulnerable situations,” the statement said.
