ASEAN urges EU to end sanctions against Myanmar

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, April 27 (TNA) - The 19th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM), being held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital, from April 26-27, has addressed several issues, including the European Union (EU)'s decision on providing some 20 million euros financial support for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and an ASEAN proposal that the 27-member-EU lift sanctions against Myanmar, an ASEAN member. Brunei's Foreign Minister Prince Mohamed Bolkiah and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policies Baroness Catherine Ashton have co-chaired the AEMM, in which Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul have participated. The EU's 20-million-euro financial assistance, or about 820 million baht, will be directed to support the integration of the 10-member-ASEAN by 2015, as well as disaster relief, energy, science and technology and information or IT innovation projects in the region. Besides, the EU has expressed its intention to further expand trade and investment with ASEAN, after bilateral trade between the 10-member-ASEAN and the 27-member-EU amounted up to 221 billion US dollars last year, even higher than the value of bilateral trade between the EU and China. The 19th AEMM has also endorsed an action plan to improve partnership between the EU and the ASEAN from 2013 to 2018, covering political, security, economic, social and cultural affairs. This year's ASEAN-EU meeting has widely discussed issues concerning Myanmar as well. The EU has suspended its sanctions against Myanmar for one year. ASEAN has supported the EU’s decision and has even urged the EU to lift all its sanctions against Myanmar. The EU side, however, called for solutions to pending problems in Myanmar, including ethnic problems, human rights violations and the detention of political prisoners. Meanwhile, the Thai foreign minister has held bilateral talks with his British counterpart on the sidelines of the ongoing AEMM, covering Thai and British assistance for the development in Myanmar.(TNA)