KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Southeast Asian nations must accelerate regional economic integration, diversify their markets and stay united to tackle the fallout from global trade disruptions resulting from sweeping U.S. tariffs, Malaysia’s foreign minister said Sunday.

Mohamad Hasan, at a meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, also reiterated the bloc’s call for an end to Myanmar’s civil war and downplayed plans of Myanmar’s ruling military to hold elections later this year as a “whitewash.”

“ASEAN nations are among those most heavily affected by the U.S.-imposed tariffs. The U.S.–China trade war is dramatically disrupting production and trade patterns worldwide. A global economic slowdown is likely to happen,” Mohamad said. “We must seize this moment to deepen regional economic integration, so that we can better shield our region from external shocks.”

Six of the bloc’s 10 members are among the worst-hit, likely affecting ASEAN’s targeted growth forecast of 4.7% this year, trade officials said.

— The Associated Press