ASEAN foreign ministers will take up the situation in Myanmar, including its peace plan and recent elections, as they gather in Cebu City this week for their first major meeting under the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship for 2026.
Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson for ASEAN Dax Imperial said discussions on Myanmar will take place within the framework of the bloc’s Five-Point Consensus during the foreign ministers’ retreat.
“The issue on Myanmar will be tackled under the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) agenda that is part of the retreat discussion,” Imperial said in a briefing on Tuesday.
He said the outcome of the elections in Myanmar is also expected to be discussed within the same framework.
“We’ll have to wait how they will discuss the results of the elections in Myanmar. But certainly, what will happen is that under the framework of the 5PC, that would be the agenda of the foreign ministers,” he said.
Cebu City will host an informal consultation on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus in Myanmar on Wednesday, ahead of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) Retreat scheduled on January 28 to 29 at the Nustar Hotel.
The AMM Retreat, chaired by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, will bring together foreign ministers and senior officials from ASEAN member states, along with officials from the ASEAN Secretariat.
Around 200 delegates are expected to attend the meeting.
On January 29, foreign ministers will focus discussions on the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship priorities and key deliverables under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together.”
They will also review the outcomes of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025 and exchange views on regional and global developments affecting Southeast Asia.
Agenda items include preparations for the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, initiatives on artificial intelligence, efforts to conclude the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea within the 2026 timeline, maritime cooperation, and youth- and people-centered initiatives.
During the last ASEAN Leaders’ Summit, the bloc expressed deep concern over the continuing conflict and worsening humanitarian situation in Myanmar, citing the lack of substantive progress in implementing the Five-Point Consensus.
ASEAN leaders denounced ongoing violence and urged all parties to immediately halt indiscriminate attacks to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the pursuit of inclusive national political dialogue.
The Philippine government said hosting the AMM Retreat underscores its commitment to upholding ASEAN unity and centrality and to promoting a stable, integrated, inclusive, sustainable, and people-centered region.
