The 44th and 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits and related summits, which kicked off in the Lao capital city of Vientiane on Wednesday, prioritize stronger cooperation across the region under "the ASEAN Way," Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith said.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the summits, Thongloun said that ASEAN must continue upholding its common cause of peace, stability and sustainable development, adhere to multilateralism based on equality and mutual benefit, and further strengthen cooperation under "the ASEAN Way".
Cooperation guided by the "ASEAN Way," Thongloun said, resonates with the "unique characteristics of Southeast Asia with a shared goal of maintaining and promoting peace, stability and sustainable socio-economic development within the region and beyond."
Themed "ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience," the summits under Laos' ASEAN chairmanship this year focus on building a more integrated, connected and resilient ASEAN community to respond to various pressing challenges and seize opportunities in the interest of ASEAN peoples.
The three-day series of meetings will feature more than 20 major gatherings, including the 27th ASEAN-China Summit, the 27th ASEAN Plus Three Summit (ASEAN-China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) and the 19th East Asia Summit.
Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
ASEAN summits prioritize stronger cooperation in "ASEAN Way": Lao president
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia is fully prepared and willing to negotiate with Ukraine at a U.S. military facility in Anchorage, Alaska, while his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a face-to-face meeting.
At a meeting with heads of major international news agencies attending the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said Russia remains prepared to pursue a negotiated settlement based on a framework discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting in Anchorage in August 2025.
He said Russia is ready to accept the compromises discussed at the meeting and expressed hope that the Ukrainian side would also agree to them.
Ukraine has previously rejected the Anchorage framework, as it calls for Ukraine to cede territory.
Meanwhile, Putin said Russian troops are advancing along the entire line of contact and have taken complete control of the Luhansk region, 85 percent of the Donetsk region and 80 percent of the Zaporizhzhia region.
Russia's Presidential Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev said at the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday that despite efforts by forces seeking to prolong the war to disrupt talks between Russia and the U.S., bilateral engagement on Ukraine has made substantive progress.
Dmitriev dismissed reports that Russia-U.S. contacts have stalled, accusing other European nations of spreading disinformation to hinder the peace process.
Dmitriev also said that on Wednesday he had spoken by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and discussed bilateral economic cooperation.
He said the U.S. side had underscored the need to embrace peace rather than engage in constant provocations and confrontations.
The U.S. has been pushing for peace and Ukraine should join the process, Dmitriev noted, adding there were plans for further contacts with Witkoff and Kushner next week.
Later on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published an open letter to Putin, proposing to end the conflict through direct talks between the two leaders.
Relevant parties, including European countries and the U.S., should be part of the peace negotiations, the letter stated.
Ukraine is ready for a complete ceasefire during the talks and proposes an exchange of prisoners of war on the principle of "all for all," Zelensky also said in the letter.
Russia ready to talk with Ukraine at U.S. military base: Putin
Russia ready to talk with Ukraine at U.S. military base: Putin
