ASEAN leaders gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 26 for a summit addressing key regional issues.

This meeting marked the first ASEAN leaders’ summit since U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of increased trade tariffs. Key topics on the agenda included Trump's tariff hikes, efforts to extend the ceasefire in the Myanmar conflict, and the pending process for East Timor’s ASEAN membership application.

Myanmar was represented at the summit by U Aung Kyaw Moe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Following Myanmar’s military takeover in February 2021, ASEAN declared that the country had failed to implement its Five-Point Consensus. As a result, since October 2021, ASEAN barred the Myanmar military leadership from attending top-level meetings, instead inviting non-political representatives.

Myanmar’s military government, however, refused to send such representatives. It was only in January 2024, under Laos’ ASEAN chairmanship, that Myanmar resumed participation by sending senior foreign ministry official Daw Marlar Than Htike to the summit.

In October 2024, Myanmar was again represented by a delegation led by U Aung Kyaw Moe at the ASEAN summit and related meetings.

Following severe earthquakes in Myanmar and Thailand, ASEAN held an emergency foreign ministers’ video conference on March 30, 2025, to coordinate humanitarian assistance, relief efforts, and reconstruction. Myanmar was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister U Than Swe.

In a related development, State Administration Council Chairman and Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met with ASEAN Chair and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Bangkok on April 17, 2025. According to a statement from the military government, the two discussed ASEAN's continued support for Myanmar’s post-earthquake recovery and further cooperation between Myanmar and the ASEAN community.