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.

LANGKAWI - Asean needs to double down on regional integration to enhance the grouping’s competitiveness, especially at a time when changes to geopolitical structures and economic policy are taking place worldwide, said Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

At the meeting, the bloc discussed transnational crimes including online scam syndicates, and called for closer cooperation with China to combat the issue, according to media reports. The theme of this year's meeting was "Secure,

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.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers hold a closed-doors retreat in Malaysia on Sunday, as the country hosts its first meeting as chair of the regional bloc ASEAN amid an intensifying civil war in Myanmar and confrontations in the South China Sea.

ASEAN's fifth envoy to Myanmar, Tan Sri Othman Hashim, appointed during the bloc's meeting of foreign ministers.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers told Myanmar's junta to prioritize a ceasefire in its civil war over fresh elections during a meeting in Malaysia on Sunday. The Myanmar military seized power in February 2021,

LANGKAWI, Malaysia (Reuters) - The regional bloc ASEAN and China should make headway on a protracted code of conduct for the South China Sea by tackling thorny "milestone issues", including its scope and if it can be legally binding, the Philippines' top diplomat said on Saturday.

A senator told Hegseth: "I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of negotiations."

Tammy Duckworth asked the nominee for factual details about the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including its membership and the U.S.'s relationship with member countries. Hegseth responded that he was unable to name the exact members of ASEAN,

In a heated Senate confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, Sen. Tammy Duckworth grilled the proposed defense secretary over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, asking him if he could name one member and how many countries were in the bloc.

While committed to regional issues, Malaysia is tempering expectations for immediate solutions, acknowledging the complexity of both crises.