NAYPYITAW, 05 August 2021, (TON): The group said “foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have appointed Brunei's second minister for foreign affairs, Erywan Yusof, as special envoy to Myanmar.”

 Erywan has been tasked with ending violence in Myanmar, opening dialogue between the military rulers and their opponents in the crisis-torn country, according to a communique released after meetings on Monday and Wednesday by the bloc's foreign ministers.

 The diplomat will also oversee a humanitarian aid package, although no details of the assistance were announced.

The United Nations and many countries, including the United States and China, have urged Asean, whose 10 members include Myanmar, to spearhead diplomatic efforts to restore stability in Myanmar.

The appointment of an envoy was central to those efforts but was delayed for months amid deep divisions within the Southeast Asian bloc.  On Sunday, the head of the junta, Min Aung Hlaing, announced he had been appointed prime minister and repeated a pledge to hold elections by 2023.