ASEAN ends gab with united stand on Myanmar, more work on COC

By Vince Lopez LABUAN

BAJO, Indonesia—The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Leaders’ Summit ended with a consen- sus among nine member-states to engage all stakeholders to end the bloodshed in Myanmar, including junta leaders who were previously barred from attending ASEAN high-level meetings.

In his 25-page chairman’s statement, Indonesian President Joko Widodo also renewed the bloc’s commitment to work for the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea.

“We welcomed ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and China and were encouraged by the progress of the substantive