The bloc’s efforts to defuse Myanmar’s ongoing civil war have centred around a five-point plan that Myanmar agreed to in 2021 but has borne little fruit.
But it is just one of several issues on Manila’s plate during its year in the ASEAN chair.
The clock is also ticking on a proposed code of conduct between the 11-nation block and China in the South China Sea, where the Philippines, along with member states Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, have contesting claims.
The crucial waterway has been the site of repeated clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels.
With negotiations over the code having dragged on for more than two decades, Lazaro was asked on Thursday if the aim of securing a deal this year was feasible.
“I would love to say (I have) a high level of confidence … but being a pragmatist, I would say that I cannot really predict,” she said, adding issues of contention included the code’s geographic scope and to what degree it would be legally binding.
Analysts have previously suggested that any pact China would agree to would likely lack teeth.
Thailand’s Phuangketkeow told AFP that Beijing typically had shown little interest in negotiating with ASEAN members collectively.
“They don’t like ASEAN to get together collectively and negotiate,” he said.
“(The Chinese) should feel that it’s in their interest to have the early conclusion of a code of conduct, which shows we’re able to manage the issues, work towards a solution … that prevents the South China Sea becoming the sea of confrontation.”
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thailand-fm-myanmar-election-transition-peace-sihasak-phuangketkeow-5893791
