US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Wednesday that the US will be hosting a special summit between US president Joe Biden and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders next year in Washington. Blinken, speaking alongside Malaysia's Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, during his official visit to Malaysia, said in a joint press conference that ASEAN is the "regional architect" in the Indo-Pacific region. Blinken did not offer a clear answer on whether Myanmar would be invited to a planned summit of ASEAN leaders and President Biden in the US next year, however the Myanmar issue will be on the summit's agenda. He added that the US remained committed to supporting ASEAN's five-point consensus plan, which among other things requires the junta to allow a regional envoy to hold talks with all sides, including the currently detained ruling party Chief Aung San Suu Kyi. "I think it's going to be very important in the weeks and months ahead to look at what additional steps and measures we can take individually and collectively to pressure the regime to put the country back on a democratic trajectory," Blinken added. For his part, Abdullah appreciated the US invitation to hold the summit and expressed the ASEAN leaders' interest in participating, highlighting that ASEAN foreign ministers will discuss this matter in the meeting taking place in Cambodia next January. The US Secretary of State will conclude his official visit to Malaysia and will travel on to Bangkok as part of his Asian tour. — KUNA
