EU maintains Myanmar policy

EU maintains Myanmar policy

SINGAPORE (AFP): The European Union's policy of keeping
Myanmar at arm's length will remain unchanged as long as human
rights violations continue, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana
said on Wednesday.

Despite its ban on contacts with senior members of the
military junta that rules Myanmar, the EU is to take part in the
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting in Bangkok, at which Myanmar
will also be represented as an ASEAN member.

Earlier, Solana gave a speech calling for closer ties between
the EU and Asia.

Bilateral contacts between the EU and individual Asian
countries were becoming increasingly important, Solana said.

The third Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of Asian and European
leaders will be held in the South Korean capital of Seoul in
October.