Thailand pushing for talks to repair key Myanmar highway

19/9/2024 14:06

        Thailand wants to work with warring sides in Myanmar to repair a key highway cutting through the conflict-ridden country as it seeks to stabilise borders areas and keep trade routes open, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said on Thursday.
        
        Thailand has the support of the ASEAN regional bloc and India in the push to rebuild parts of the Asian Highway 1 (AH-1) that has been damaged by recent fighting, he told reporters.
        
        Laos, the current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has also asked Thailand to host a regional meeting on Myanmar before the end of the year, he said, without providing further details.
        
        Myanmar has been in turmoil since February 2021, when its powerful generals ousted an elected civilian government, triggering a protest movement that has morphed into an armed rebellion against the ruling junta.