LAOS — Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of Myanmar's military-backed government, is scheduled to visit Laos from July 3-5, 2026. The state-run Vientiane Times announced the visit, which will mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Laos and Myanmar. Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith extended an invitation for Min Aung Hlaing to visit.

The Global New Light of Myanmar stated on July 1, 2026, that Min Aung Hlaing's visit to an ASEAN country would occur over the "next few days." Myanmar's military-backed government previously denied a request from the ASEAN chair to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi. Min Aung Hlaing's coup in early 2021 ousted Aung San Suu Kyi from power. A ban on Min Aung Hlaing's regime attending ASEAN summits remains in place, and ASEAN has not endorsed the election that made him president.

The current ASEAN chair, the Philippines, recently reactivated the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), which was established to find a resolution for the civil war in Myanmar. The civil war has resulted in nearly 100,000 fatalities to date. The regime in Naypyidaw recently released political prisoners, and Aung San Suu Kyi was moved from jail to a "designated residence."

Philippine foreign affairs spokesperson Dominic "Dax" Imperial discussed the situation in Myanmar. Imperial said, "As Myanmar takes steps in a positive direction, we reiterate the importance of releasing all other prisoners, particularly the elderly and infirm, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi." He added, "Such actions are essential to advancing meaningful political dialogue as envisioned in the 5PC."

The denial of the ASEAN chair's request to meet Aung San Suu Kyi and the continued ban on the Myanmar regime's attendance at ASEAN summits indicate tensions between Myanmar's current government and the regional bloc. The civil war in Myanmar has claimed many lives, making the advancement of political dialogue through mechanisms like the 5PC a focus for regional stability. Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, sometimes referred to as the "CLM Club," gained entry into ASEAN in the late 1990s as part of the bloc's expansion.