ASEAN Foreign Ministers Propose Benchmarking Tool; Permanent Envoy To Myanmar
MANILA, July 21 (Bernama-PNA) -- ASEAN foreign ministers have proposed the appointment of a permanent special envoy to Myanmar and a benchmarking tool to assess Myanmar’s progress in implementing the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
These were among the proposals put forward Tuesday during the extended informal consultation on the situation in Myanmar chaired by the Philippines in Pasay City to deal with the ongoing political situation in Myanmar.
At a press huddle, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, who also serves as the special envoy of the ASEAN chair to Myanmar, said attending top diplomats have agreed to consider the possibility of a “long-term envoy” in the neighbouring state.
“It has been agreed upon that having an annual special envoy, like in my case, is something that is not really - it's not really that effective because you have to have the whole picture,” she said.
“Practically, it was actually a Brunei proposal that the special envoy should be assisted by a unit in the secretariat. But these are all proposals. There's the issue also of funding,” she said.
The ministers also proposed developing a new approach or mechanism to benchmark and assess developments in Myanmar.
The extended informal discussion follows the first in-person meeting between Myanmar’s top diplomat and ASEAN foreign ministers on July 12.
No representative from Myanmar was present.
“Through these meetings, I am optimistic about our commitment to assist Myanmar in achieving a lasting solution, one that is Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led, and one that ultimately will benefit the Myanmar people and the region as a whole,” said Lazaro.
The official has repeatedly stated that ASEAN would be guided by the 5PC as its main reference in helping the politically strife-stricken Myanmar and that the country remains an integral part of ASEAN.
-- BERNAMA-PNA
