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.