Southeast Asian Foreign Ministers and top diplomats from key partners have gathered in Laotian capital, Vientiane on Thursday for the start of the 57th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, three days of talks expected to focus on regional issues.

U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi will participate in the meetings.

Lao Foreign Minister, Saleumxay Kommasith thanked ASEAN members and partners for their “unwavering collective effort” that led to its past achievements and emphasized the importance of the bloc’s continuous work to promote peace and stability.

“In light of the rapid and complex geopolitical and geoeconomic changes, we need to further enhance ASEAN centrality and unity so as to promote the relevance and resilience of ASEAN, aiming at addressing emerging challenges and seizing opportunity in the future,” he said in an opening statement.

For the ASEAN nations; Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos — the violence in Myanmar is at the top of the agenda as the bloc struggles to implement its “five-point consensus” for peace.

The plan calls for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, a dialogue among all concerned parties, mediation by an ASEAN special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid through ASEAN channels, and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties.

The military leadership in Myanmar has so far ignored the plan and has raised questions about the bloc’s efficiency and credibility to mediate for peace.

Broader talks, including diplomats from elsewhere in the region including Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, are expected to focus on issues including the economy, security, climate and energy.

Regional issues, including Cambodia’s decision to build a canal off the Mekong River that Vietnam, which is downstream, worries could have ecological and security implications, as well as massive dam building projects in Laos further upstream could also feature in the meetings.

Dulyapak Preecharush, a professor of Southeast Asia Studies at Bangkok’s Thammasat University, said ASEAN is not the only stakeholder when it comes to Myanmar, with China and India also major players — and both attending the ASEAN meetings.

Progress on Myanmar “needs to start with countries that share borders with Myanmar, such as China, India and Thailand, to find a joint consensus to address the problems” before expanding to other countries, he said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Meets With Saleumxay Kommasith

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith.

Wang said that China and Laos share a river and a common future, and a high degree of mutual trust and mutual assistance are thus the distinctive features of the China-Laos community with a shared future.

Under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and countries, Wang said, the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future has achieved fruitful results, which is in line with the aspiration of both peoples and the trend of the times.

Wang asserted that China has always prioritized the development of China-Laos relations in its neighborhood diplomacy and supported Laos in taking the path of socialism which suits its national conditions, and in promoting the cause of innovation and opening-up.

He noted that China is willing to work with Laos to deepen strategic mutual trust, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, share development opportunities and work hand in hand towards modernization.

On his part, Saleumxay stated that Laos cherishes the firm friendship with China, firmly supports the building of the Laos-China community with a shared future.

He added that his country is willing to implement the new version of the action plan, prepare for the next stage of high-level exchanges between the two countries, expand practical cooperation in various fields, and work together to combat transnational crime.