Enhancing its status in the ASEAN region and maintaining solidarity with the region are extremely important to Myanmar if it is to dispel the lingering mistrust of its military regime and regain credibility in the international community. This project was initiated upon receipt of a suggestion from the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies that SPF support training for midlevel Myanmar diplomats in preparation for hosting ASEAN summits. In the self-operated component of the project, SPF invited a former official of the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide advice.
In the grant component of the project, eight midlevel Myanmar diplomats were sent to secretariats organizing intergovernmental meetings of high-level administrators and ministers in order to observe summit preparation and administration firsthand. In addition, with the cooperation of the ASEAN Secretariat, seven midlevel Myanmar diplomats were sent to a workshop held in Jakarta in October 2005. Twenty-two diplomats who had not been sent overseas attended a seminar on diplomatic etiquette and protocol and the preparation of speeches, official documents, and minutes in Yangon in February 2006. Three ASEAN Secretariat officials specializing in summit organization and administration were invited to serve as instructors.