Myanmar leader visits Laos

Myanmar leader visits Laos

VIENTIANE (AFP): The number two in the Myanmar military junta, Maung Aye, held talks in Vientiane on Monday as European Union ministers prepared to end a three-year-old boycott of the junta's representatives in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The powerful Myanmar army chief headed a high-ranking 19- strong delegation, which included Foreign Minister Win Aung, for the three-day visit, Lao sources said.

Win Aung is expected to stay on in the Lao capital for next week's breakthrough meeting between EU and ASEAN ministers, their first since Myanmar's admission to the Southeast Asian grouping in 1997.

The delegation went straight into talks with Lao leaders, although details were not immediately available from officials of the two highly secretive regimes.

Laos was celebrating a national holiday on Monday after festivities marking the 25th anniversary of the communist regime on Saturday and all government ministries were closed.

Lao security officials also carefully shielded the Myanmar delegation when they returned to their city center hotel for an evening reception.

Security was tight around the presidential palace throughout the day with armed police mounting roadblocks on surrounding streets.

Several Myanmar armed opposition groups have strong support across the Mekong in neighboring Thailand.

Vientiane has also itself been the target of a mystery bombing campaign over the past eight months which has killed one person and wounded more than 40, according to diplomats.

It was the second foreign visit by the Myanmar number two in as many months after a long period in which he made none.

Last month he traveled to neighboring India for talks in which he reached agreement on joint efforts to counter separatist insurgency along the common border.