UN chief meets S'pore leaders

UN chief meets S'pore leaders
By Lee Siew Hua, Senior Political Correspondent

26 minutes ago

UNITED Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and Singapore leaders on Thursday discussed the importance of engaging Myanmar, a day ahead of his planned visit to Yangon.

The UN chief, here on a two-day working visit, called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana and was hosted to dinner by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong last night.

Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that PM Lee and Mr Ban exchanged views on the global economic crisis and discussed the UN chief's upcoming visit to Myanmar.

'PM Lee emphasised the importance of the continued engagement of the international community through the UN,' the statement said.

He also reiterated Singapore's 'support for the good offices of the UN Secretary-General and his Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari's work on Myanmar'.

PM Lee and Mr Ban exchanged views on challenges facing the international community, including the economic crisis. At dinner, SM Goh discussed his recent four-day visit to Myanmar and Singapore's perspective on developments there.

'SM Goh emphasised the important role that the UN could play to help bring about national reconciliation in Myanmar by engaging all the stakeholders,' the statement said.

When SM Goh visited Myanmar last month, he urged its military government not to allow the ongoing trial of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to derail the national reconciliation process, and to ensure that national elections, to be held next year, are free and fair.

SM Goh said at the time that Myanmar's leaders understood the need to democratise, but they were being practical and doing it cautiously, step by step.

In March, PM Lee met visiting Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein and urged Myanmar to take bolder steps towards national reconciliation and engaging the international community. 'Singapore will do what we can, provided Myanmar considers this helpful,' he said at that time.