Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah met his colleague from Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) in person over the weekend, marking the first time a Southeast Asian official has officially confirmed meeting with the country’s opposition shadow government.

The “informal” meeting with NUG Foreign Minister Zin Mar Aung took place in Washington, D.C. on May 13, following the completion of the two-day US-ASEAN Special Summit.

Saifuddin wrote on Twitter that during the meeting, he “expressed Malaysia’s support and solidarity with the people of Myanmar” and said that his government “stands ready to work towards restoring peace and democracy in Myanmar.”

The two also discussed the challenges faced by the NUG, “including humanitarian assistance, technical training, and education for the Myanmar refugees.”

On her own Twitter account, Zin Mar Aung described the meeting as “productive” and said the pair discussed “the dire situation in Myanmar, and how the NUG and Malaysia can work together to restore peace and democracy in Myanmar, including humanitarian assistance and support for the Myanmar refugees.”

The summit signified a slight but important shift in the Southeast Asian bloc’s response to the situation caused by Myanmar’s military takeover of power in February 2021. Saifuddin has been highly critical of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing’s failure to execute ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, a broad framework that asks for the “rapid halt of violence” in Myanmar and inclusive engagement including “all sides” to the conflict, since entering office in August.