Asean secretary-general to visit Burma

Monday, 06 February 2012 20:28 Nyi Thit

Rangoon (Mizzima) – Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, the Asean secretary-general, will pay a two-day visit to Burma on February 20 to observe the changes that have taken place over the past year.

Surin, who supported giving the Asean chairmanship to Burma in 2014, will meet Burmese government senior officials to learn about current reforms being implemented, said an Asean statement.

The discussions will also involve the duties of the Asean chairmanship to be performed in 2014. He will also tour rehabilitation projects that followed the devastation wrought by Cyclone Nargis when it tore through the Irrawaddy Delta in 2008, leading to a major humanitarian effort by Asean and other groups to aid victims.

Burmese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin said Asean has been helpful in promoting international assistance in areas of peacemaking, economics and democratic principles.

In accepting the invitation, Surin told the foreign minister that the positive changes in Burma “have been welcomed enthusiastically throughout Asean and the world,” and said he hoped to identify how Asean can continue to play a role in the country’s development going forward.