Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are holding a series of meetings on Friday. Myanmar is high on the agenda.

The ASEAN summit is being hosted by Cambodia in the capital Phnom Penh. Prime Minister Hun Sen welcomed his counterparts as the chair.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said, "Let us focus on the common goal of mutual development for peace, stability and the betterment of the region."

Political, social and economic confusion have gripped Myanmar since the military overthrew the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi last year.

ASEAN has been trying to engage with the country's junta through the so-called "Five-Point Peace Consensus." This includes calls for an immediate end to widespread violence, and allowing a special envoy to mediate among all parties.

Myanmar's military leaders are not allowed to participate in the summit because of their ongoing suppression of the country's pro-democracy camps, and not implementing the agreed peace plan.

Some ASEAN members are urging that a tougher stance be taken against the junta. The focus of the discussions is on whether they can agree on substantial measures, and a timeline to make Myanmar comply with the peace plan.

World leaders, including those from the US, Japan and China, are scheduled to join a series of meetings with ASEAN leaders over the weekend.

Moscow will be sending Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. They are expected to discuss issues, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government says it's arranging a summit meeting between Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in Thailand on the sidelines of the APEC summit.

A face-to-face meeting of the two countries' leaders would be the first in three years.