NAYPYIDAW – Myanmar – the host of this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit – has called on fellow member-states of the regional bloc to stick to “established rules” in addressing issues to ensure stability and economic development.
“First, we need to sustain efforts in promoting the culture of compliance to the established rules and norms of ASEAN and to promote them to a broader extent,” Myanmar President U Thein Sein said in a speech at the opening of the 25th ASEAN Summit here yesterday.
“Rules-based and norm-based ASEAN will elevate our stature and transparency which are key to build confidence and trust among ourselves and with our partners,” the Myanmar leader added.
“This, in turn, will foster peace, stability and security in the region and beyond, and bring economic development and social harmony,” he said, without mentioning specific issues confronting ASEAN members.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei are embroiled in a territorial spat with China over some islets, shoals, reefs and other landforms in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.
Also yesterday, Thein Sein took the opportunity to congratulate President Aquino for breakthroughs in the peace negotiations with Muslim rebels.
Thein Sein also underscored the importance of ASEAN unity in tackling matters of common concern, particularly terrorism and extremism.
The Myanmar leader welcomed newly elected Indonesian President Joko Widodo as well as Thailand’s new leader, former Army general and now Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan O-cha, who attended the ASEAN summit for the first time.
During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping advised Aquino to return to a past understanding on issues and to deal with concerns constructively.
“He hoped that the Philippine side could return to the basis of the previous consensus, and go in the same direction as China to deal with the relevant issues in a constructive way, and to create conditions for the healthy development of China-Philippines relations,” Aquino said over coffee to Philippine media on the sidelines of the Beijing summit.