Myanmar and other ASEAN countries will join maritime drills with the US in the Gulf of Thailand next week, although there are US sanctions against a number of high-raking officials of the Myanmar army.

Flags of ASEAN countries (Photo: VNA)

Myanmar was invited to the event as a representative of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for the commander-in-chief's office in Myanmar, on 28 August.

The official further stressed that the US sanctions are against individuals while the event is to manifest the coordination between the ASEAN and the US.

The exercises will take place from 2 to 6 September as part of an agreement between ASEAN and US defense ministers struck in 2018.

ASEAN groups 10 member countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

(Source: VNA)