Myanmar has sent a representative to a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the first time in around three years.
Delegates at the 3-day series of meetings that started on Wednesday in Vientiane, Laos, are discussing efforts to restore calm in Myanmar, which is mired in conflict between military and pro-democracy forces.
The talks will also include sessions between member nations and countries such as Japan, China and the United States.
The Myanmar junta has sent a senior foreign ministry official to the gathering.
The military seized power in a coup in 2021. ASEAN subsequently agreed to a five-point consensus at a meeting that was attended by the head of the Myanmar military. The consensus included a call for an immediate cessation of violence.
But following disputes over the implementation of the agreement, the regional bloc stopped extending invitations to the junta, and the junta stopped sending representatives.
The junta is now more positive about engaging in dialogue at ASEAN ministerial-level meetings.