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.

The regional bloc ASEAN and China should make headway on a protracted code of conduct for the South China Sea by tackling thorny "milestone issues", including its scope and if it can be legally binding,

Southeast Asian foreign ministers hold a closed-doors retreat in Malaysia on Sunday, as the country hosts its first meeting as chair of the regional bloc ASEAN amid an intensifying civil war in Myanmar and confrontations in the South China Sea.

LANGKAWI: The ongoing Myanmar crisis and tensions in the South China Sea will feature in the discussions at the Asean Foreign Ministers' Retreat here during the weekend, says Malaysian Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin.

Beijing has offered closer security cooperation with Southeast Asian countries to combat scam syndicates operated by Chinese nationals in the region.

LANGKAWI: Asean nations will closely cooperate with China to combat transnational crime, including online scam syndicates, announced Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan.

LANGKAWI, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- ASEAN Foreign Ministers welcomed the progress made in the negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea and emphasised the importance of sustaining momentum to expedite the process.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers convened in Malaysia to address Myanmar's civil war and South China Sea tensions. Despite internal challenges, ASEAN fosters unity and economic integration amid global uncertainties.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers met 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

Talks between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China to crack down on online scams need detail as the proposal from Beijing was still in an early stage, Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Sugiono has called for unity and the strengthening of ASEAN institutional capacity, underlining that it was “no longer possible” for Southeast Asian countries to go it alone as the current geopolitical landscape continues to present threats to the stability and security of the region.

A Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat (AMM Retreat) in Langkawi, Malaysia, on January 19.