There is “no reason” to change the format of only inviting Myanmar to ASEAN meetings at a non-political level, says Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia: Amid the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, there is “no reason” to change the format of only inviting Myanmar to Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings at a non-political level, said Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday .
“I do not expect this time to be easier to solve. And we have to be patient. And we must be able to maintain a consistent rational policy, in order to derive the best outcome for Myanmar and for ASEAN,” he said. Speaking about how Singapore would help Timor-Leste in gaining ASEAN membership, Mr Lee highlighted the special technical assistancethat Singapore launched to train Timor-Leste officials in ASEAN knowledge and skills training, as well as education capacity building.
With ASEAN having grown in so many directions and cooperation frameworks spanning various fields, Timor-Leste officials must be armed with the know-how and expertise to participate in ASEAN meetings and “make a sensible contribution”, or even to uphold their own interest and negotiate in “an informed way” to reach a “proper outcome”, he said.
“The more troubled the world is, the more you need a safety life raft. And ASEAN is our life raft; it is the life raft for all ASEAN members. Because each one of us, in a global context, we are not that big,” he told reporters.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
ASEAN leaders 'deeply concerned' about Myanmar violence, urge 'immediate cessation'Southeast Asian leaders also condemned the recent attack on a convoy delivering humanitarian aid in Myanmar's Shan State.
Read more »
Asean must stay cohesive and united, given troubled external environment, says PM LeePM Lee stressed that economic integration must always remain Asean’s priority. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Asean leaders say 'deeply concerned' about Myanmar violenceLABUAN BAJO (Indonesia) — Southeast Asian nations said Wednesday (May 10) they are 'deeply concerned' about the violence ravaging Myanmar, and condemned a recent attack on a convoy of diplomats delivering humanitarian aid in the country.
Read more »
Myanmar shadow government welcomes Asean peace talks but distrusts juntaThe biggest obstacle to peace talks is the military junta, said a spokesman for the NUG. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
ASEAN must show unity to tackle Myanmar's escalating crisis, Indonesia president saysLABUAN BAJO, Indonesia: Myanmar's ruling military has made no significant progress on implementing a peace plan agreed with ASEAN two years ago and the bloc must show unity in deciding how to address the escalating crisis, Indonesia's president said on Thursday (May 11). Joko Widodo, who is chair of the As
Read more »
Asean unity needed to achieve significant progress in peace plan for Myanmar, says JokowiThe Indonesian leader stressed that the crisis will not hinder efforts in Asean community building. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »