Myanmar hosted the 49th meeting of the ASEAN Ports Association in Yangon on Thursday, the state-owned daily Myanma Alinn reported on Friday.

Speaking at the event, Myanmar's Union Minister for Transport and Communications U Mya Tun Oo said that Myanmar was greatly honored and delighted to serve as the host country for the meeting.

He said the meeting was being held under the theme "Navigating Together, Sustainable Forever" of the ASEAN Ports Association, in line with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN's) motto "One Vision, One Identity, One Community," to work together toward common prosperity and long-term sustainable development within the ASEAN port community.

The union minister said ports play a crucial role as major driving forces in the economic development of ASEAN region, the report added.

Additionally, he added that the member states have been implementing digital transformation, innovation, decarbonization, and human resource development initiatives to improve connectivity and performance among ports in the region, the report said.

The ASEAN Ports Association was established in 1974, and Myanmar became a member in 2005. The association includes nine member countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.