Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering for their first meeting this year under the regional bloc’s new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (second, right) held a bilateral meeting with Thailand's Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat (AMM) at the Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC) today. --fotoBERNAMA (2025) COPYRIGHT RESERVED

LANGKAWI: Thailand and Malaysia emphasised the importance of collaboration in addressing pressing regional and global issues, including human trafficking and Asean solidarity.

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.

Thailand's Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa (left) interviewed by reporters after holding a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan in conjunction with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat (AMM) at the Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC) today.

From left to right, Thailand's Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, Vietnam's Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan clap after a group photo session during the

Thailand is experiencing cooler weather that is expected to last until mid-February, influenced by the La Niña phenomenon. This year’s summer is also anticipated to be less intensely hot compared to previous years.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan today opened the Asean Foreign Ministers’ (AMM) Retreat here, highlighting the need for ASEAN

A free trade agreement between Thailand the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), including Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, will be signed in Davos on January 23, becoming the first pact of its kind between the Southeast Asian country and the trade bloc.

Thailand is strengthening security measures for tourists to restore confidence among Chinese visitors, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has pledged after concerns were raised about the safety of travellers following the kidnapping of a Chinese actor.

Singapore’s foreign affairs minister was speaking after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Langkawi on Jan 18 and 19, the first high-level meeting hosted by Malaysia as the bloc’s 2025 chair.

Malaysia, this year's ASEAN chair, said Sunday ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House t