Thailand welcomes US-Myanmar engagement, expects ASEAN talks on country’s future

By Sergio Goncalves and Miguel Pereira LISBON, Oct 23 (Reuters) Thailand welcomes US engagement with Myanmar and expects discussions at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations November summit in Manila on how to proceed ​with the member barred since the 2021 coup, Foreign Minister Sihasak ‌Phuangketkeow told Reuters on Friday. The United States and Myanmar s military-backed government held talks in Tokyo two weeks ago, their second meeting in a month as Washington steps up re-engagement with the generals it shunned after the coup. We don t want to see Myanmar isolated, we don t ‌want ​Myanmar to be an arena for geopolitical rivalry ⁠so the US engagement is ⁠something that we welcome, he said. Engagement does not mean legitimizing the regime, but aims to encourage peaceful conflict resolution and reconciliation with the opposition, Sihasak, who is also deputy prime minister, added. He said there was some shift in ASEAN s ​position, citing Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing