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WorldPosted at: May 22 2025 7:34PM


Myanmar hosts 59th ASEAN transport meetings amid push for regional integration

Naypyidaw, May 22 (UNI) Myanmar hosted senior transport officials from across Southeast Asia this week for the 59th ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting and the 4th ASEAN–United States Senior Transport Officials Meeting, in Yangon.
The three-day event, which runs through Friday, brings together delegates from ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretariat, and key dialogue partners to review regional transport cooperation.
At the opening, Myanmar’s Deputy Minister for Transport and Communications, U Aung Kyaw Tun, highlighted regional progress and underscored the need for joint action to strengthen ASEAN’s connectivity and long-term development. “I am pleased with the progress of transport cooperation in the ASEAN region,” he said, adding that collaboration is essential to build resilience and promote sustainable growth," reported the Global New Light of Myanmar.
Myanmar, he noted, is aligning its efforts with the ASEAN agenda through the National Transport Master Plan. Current priorities include expanding multimodal infrastructure, advancing digital transformation, and integrating environmental protection into transport development strategies.
The meetings are part of ASEAN’s broader goal to enhance cross-border connectivity, modernise transport networks, and support sustainable economic integration. As geopolitical tensions and climate concerns reshape regional priorities, transport is emerging as a key area of cooperation.
As such, they covered a broad agenda aligned with ASEAN’s Strategic Plan for Transport. Key highlights included: finalising the ASEAN Transport Cooperation Framework 2026–2030, a blueprint that will guide regional transport integration in the next decade, drafting a regional roadmap for electric vehicle (EV) implementation, aimed at supporting the shift to low-emission mobility systems across member states.
Additional areas include reviewing the ASEAN–New Zealand air services agreement, which seeks to expand air connectivity and liberalise air travel between the bloc and its partner, and developing a regional ship waste management strategy, part of wider efforts to align maritime practices with global environmental standards and reduce ocean pollution.
Officials also discussed digitisation in transport logistics, post-pandemic recovery, and ways to enhance cooperation with international partners, including the US, under ASEAN’s dialogue framework.
While Myanmar’s role as host may raise eyebrows given the country's internal crisis, its involvement in technical ASEAN platforms like STOM reflects the bloc’s non-interference approach and pragmatic engagement.
The meetings provide Myanmar with a limited but important space to remain involved in regional initiatives focused on infrastructure and economic connectivity, despite widespread international condemnation over its domestic political situation.
ASEAN transport initiatives are increasingly viewed as critical to unlocking trade, investment, and mobility in the region. As member states confront a new era of environmental, economic, and geopolitical challenges, the focus on sustainable, inclusive, and connected transport systems is gaining urgency.
With outcomes expected to inform ministerial-level talks later this year, the Yangon meetings serve as a stepping stone toward realising ASEAN’s vision of a fully integrated and climate-resilient transport network by 2030. UNI ANV SSP
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