Southeast Asian leaders gathered in the capital of Laos for an annual regional forum that will focus on tackling the prolonged civil war in Myanmar and territorial tensions in the South China Sea.

Southeast Asian leaders met in Laos on Wednesday for a summit expected to find ways of tackling a worsening civil war in Myanmar, with Thailand set to propose a new path for a political solution after a regional peace effort made scant progress.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit began in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on Wednesday. In a short statement on X, the ASEAN Secretariat said the summit started with the opening ceremony which will be followed by a plenary session and a retreat session.

A US delegation led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken will raise concerns with Asian leaders over growing South China Sea tensions and the civil war in Myanmar at a regional summit in Laos.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken will represent the United States at the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) summits in Laos this week and expects to discuss human rights in Myanmar, China's "irresponsible" behavior in the South China Sea and Ukraine, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia said on Tuesday.

This week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Vientiane, Laos, to attend the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. This visit comes at a crucial time, as the Indo-Pacific faces rising geopolitical challenges.

Southeast Asian leaders will meet in Laos this week as Myanmar's civil war and mounting tensions in the South China Sea risk corroding the ASEAN grouping's central role in the region.