VIENTIANE, Laos (Reuters) -Southeast Asian leaders met in Laos on Wednesday for a summit expected to seek ways address the worsening civil war in Myanmar, with Thailand calling for heightened engagement ahead of a planned election by the country's embattled military rulers.

Southeast Asian leaders are meeting at an annual forum that will focus on the civil war in Myanmar and territorial tensions in the South China Sea, two challenges that have long tested the bloc's credibility.

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.