EU sees no talks with Myanmar yet

EU sees no talks with Myanmar yet

BRUSSELS (Reuter): European Union (EU) foreign ministers have
said that the human rights situation in Myanmar was worsening and
that Yangon's membership of the ASEAN trading bloc did not imply
it could take part in EU-Asian talks.

ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, will
formally embrace Myanmar as a member at its next ministerial
meeting in Malaysia on July 24 and July 25.

"The deteriorating human rights situation in Myanmar is a
matter for serious concern to the EU," said a statement issued
after the ministers met in Luxembourg Thursday.

The ministers in their statement said membership in ASEAN did
not automatically mean Myanmar could join ASEM, the main EU-Asia
discussion forum.

The EU, reacting to accusations of human rights abuse by the
Yangon military junta, has cut off high-level contacts with
Myanmar and withdrawn various trading privileges.