Vietnam has expressed its appreciation to the Indonesian leadership, which has initiated the ASEAN Leaders Meeting. The Vietnamese prime minister has said the violence in Myanmar must be stopped soon.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has praised Indonesia for initiating the ASEAN Leaders Meeting on Saturday to find a solution to the political crisis in Myanmar.

"Vietnam has expressed its appreciation to the Indonesian leadership, which has initiated the ASEAN Leaders Meeting. The Vietnamese prime minister has said the violence in Myanmar must be stopped soon," said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, following a bilateral meeting between Vietnamese Prime Minister Chính and Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Friday evening.

During the meeting, the two leaders exchanged views on the latest situation in Myanmar and expressed concern over the violence in the country, which has claimed several lives, Marsudi informed.

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President Widodo also reiterated Indonesia’s stance that any settlement to the Myanmar issue must prioritize the safety and welfare of the local people, the minister said.

Widodo stressed that the use of violence and weapons in Myanmar must be stopped to avoid more casualties, she added.

He also pushed for an “inclusive dialog” to “ensure that democracy, security, peace, and stability in Myanmar can be restored soon”, she continued.

The ALM is the outcome of Indonesia's initiative to resolve the political crisis in Myanmar, Marsudi said. It is also a follow-up to the talks between the Indonesian President and the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, the ASEAN chair, she added.

Earlier, Marsudi had said the ALM would be the first meeting of ASEAN leaders during a pandemic.

She noted that the leaders’ commitment to meet physically reflects ASEAN's deep concern over the situation in Myanmar and the bloc’s focus on helping Myanmar find a way out of the crisis.

"We certainly hope that the ALM (held on Saturday, April 24, 2021) would reach an agreement on good steps for the people of Myanmar," Marsudi said. (INE)

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Translator: Indra Arief Pribadi/Suharto
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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