The information team of the State Administration Council (SAC) has issued a statement saying that Myanmar handed over the ASEAN chairmanship to the Philippines only after sending an opinion letter asking whether or not it would be convenient for the country to take the chairmanship.

Paragraph 31 of the ASEAN Charter says that the assignment of the ASEAN Chairmanship is to be assumed by serial English-language alphabet of member states in turn. As such, they are responsible for the annual rotation, and according to this principle, Myanmar must assume the role of ASEAN rotary chairmanship by 2026.

ASEAN member states make about two years of preparations to assume the rotating chairmanship. Myanmar is currently trying to build a country based on democracy and federalism in accord with its five-point roadmap. Therefore, the Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs of Myanmar sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines to see if it is convenient to assume the assignment of ASEAN chairmanship by 2026. Indonesia, ASEAN chair for 2023, has also been notified about the matter, the SAC statement says. 

The Philippines has also officially reported that it is convenient to assume the ASEAN chairmanship by 2026 and will inform the current ASEAN chair and the rest of the members.  The Philippine Foreign Minister says: Addressing the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, the Philippines will serve as ASEAN chair by 2026 instead of 2027 and hopes to receive the support of the ASEAN chair and all other member countries. 

Following the 43rd ASEAN Summit, a statement on the review and decision made by ASEAN leaders was issued. In paragraph 15 of the statement, the Philippines decided to assume the assignment of the 2026 ASEAN rotating chairmanship, and the ASEAN rotary chairmanship continues in alphabetical order until another decision is made.  Some international media reports also show that statements about the 2026 ASEAN chairmanship are misinterpreted in the forms they want, the SAC statement points out.

Looking back on history regarding the admission of Myanmar's ASEAN chairmanship, the ASEAN Chairmanship under the ASEAN Charter was to be assumed by Myanmar in 2006. But Myanmar did not go forward at the time. In accordance with its seven-point roadmap, Myanmar was in the democratic transition process. Then for the rotation in 2016 also, Myanmar gave up its rotary chairmanship in 2014 in negotiation with Malaysia and Laos. At that time, the country was the process of preparing 2015 elections, statement adds.