Senior General Than Shwe sends congratulatory message to Croatian President

YANGON, 23 Feb— Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar, has sent a congratulatory message to His Excellency Mr Stjepan Mesi , President of the Republic of Croatia, on the occasion of his inauguration for the second term.

Source: "The New Light Of Myanmar", www.myanmar.com/nlm/
 

Myanmar places importance in ASEAN and its commitment to moving towards
closer cohesion and economic integration

YANGON, 23 Feb — The following is the full statement of Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar Lt-Gen Soe Win at the luncheon given in his honour by the President of the Republic of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on 21-2-2005.

I am deeply touched by Your Excellency’s kind words of welcome. The warmth with which we have been received since our arrival in Manila no doubt reflects the close bonds of friendship between our two countries. It is a pleasure to be among friends.

On behalf of my delegation and on my own behalf, I would like to express our deep appreciation to the Government and people of the Philippines for the gracious hospitality extended to us.

Myanmar and the Philippines may be separated by oceans but we are bound by similarities in traditions and culture. Even before the advent of formal diplomatic relations in 1956, our two countries enjoyed contacts based on mutual respect and goodwill. The relationship has blossomed since Myanmar joined the ASEAN family of nations in 1997. More recently, the first meeting of the Myanmar-Philippines Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation convened in Yangon last April has provided the impetus to move the relationship forward.

We are encouraged to note that bilateral economic and trade relations have been initiated and that there is growing interest in the Philippine business community on developing those relations, including the establishment of transport linkages between our two countries. I am sure Your Excellency will agree with me that we should strive to realize the full potential for closer economic and trade relations for the benefit of our peoples.

We in Myanmar have followed with admiration the all-round progress made by the Filipino people in nation building endeavours. In recent years, you have scored impressive gains in the political, economic and social fields. The Philippines is now poised to move on to a new level. It is evident that he combination of the leadership of Your Excellency’s Government and the hard work of the Filipino people are bearing fruits. I am happy to be able to say that our efforts in Myanmar to restore peace and stability have also been successful. As a result of the confidence-building measures we adopted, armed groups have now returned to the legal fold, paving the way for national unity and the transformation of the country into a modern discipline-flourishing democratic nation. We are now implementing the 7-step road map for democratization. The National Convention in which all the nationalities in the country and all strata of the society are represented resumed 4 days ago. Once its task is completed a new constitution will emerge and the aspirations of our people will be met. At the same time we continue to strive to raise the living standards of our people.

We in Myanmar realize that in an increasingly integrated world, we must work closely with friendly countries and neighbours. We believe that the future of developing countries lies on promoting regional cooperation which does not diminish national identities but enhances political and economic strength. We therefore place importance in ASEAN and the association’s commitment to moving towards closer cohesion and economic integration. In this regard, we consider the Philippines an important partner. I am confident that working bilaterally and in the framework of the ASEAN we can contribute to the peace, stability and prosperity of the region.

To conclude, I would like to once again express our sincere appreciation to Your Excellency for the warm welcome and the excellent arrangements made for us in your beautiful country.

May I now invite you to join me in a toast:-

- to lasting friendship between the Union of Myanmar and the Republic of the Philippines;

- to the health and well-being of Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo;

- to the health and happiness of all the Distinguished Guests and friends present here this afternoon.

YANGON, 23 Feb— The following is the full statement of President of the Republic of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during the luncheon for Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar Lt-Gen Soe Win on 21-2-2005.

I wish to welcome Your Excellency, Lieutenant General Soe Win, Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar and the members of your delegation to the Philippines.

Myanmar is one of the four new member countries of ASEAN. President Ramos visited

Myanmar in 1997, the year that Myanmar joined ASEAN. Prime Minister Senior General Than Shwe attended in 1998 ASEAN Summit in Manila and met with officials of the Philippine Government including Speaker de Venecia.

But on a bilateral basis, it’s the leaders of the other three new ASEAN countries that we have had the pleasure of hosting, and it’s good therefore and I congratulate you Mr Prime Minister that you have embarked on a programme to visit your ASEAN neighbours and conduct a constructive bilateral dialogue with each one of your ASEAN neighbours. Your initiative to visit your ASEAN neighbours and conduct constructive dialogues with each one of us reflects your recognition that engagement in the regional and international community carries with it profound responsibilities.

You have our fervent prayers that Myanmar and ASEAN will be equal to these responsibilities and to the great challenges of the times for the benefit of our peoples, the region and the global community.

Therefore, I would like everyone to join me in a toast to His Excellency, Prime Minister Lt-Gen Soe Win and to the people of Myanmar.

Source: "The New Light Of Myanmar", www.myanmar.com/nlm/
 

Prime Minister meets Philippine Senate President, Speaker of House of Representatives

YANGON, 23 Feb—Prime Minister Lt-Gen Soe Win met Philippine Senate President Mr Franklin Drilon at the Imperial Suite on the 11th floor of the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel in Manila at 2 pm local time on 21 February.

The Prime Minister received Philippine Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr Jose C De Venecia, Jr at the same venue at 2.30 pm local time the same day.

Also present at the calls were Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Maj-Gen Htay Oo, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development U Soe Tha, Minister for Foreign Affairs U Nyan Win, Minister for Hotels and Tourism Brig-Gen Thein Zaw, Myanmar Ambassador to the Philippines U Tin Tun, and Director-General of the Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Thaung Tun.

Source: "The New Light Of Myanmar", www.myanmar.com/nlm/
 

Philippine President hosts luncheon in honour of Myanmar goodwill delegation

YANGON, 23 Feb—President of the Republic of Philippines Her Excellency Madame Gloria Macapagal Arroyo hosted a luncheon in honour of Prime Minister Lt-Gen Soe Win and party at Aguinaldo State Dining Room of Malacanan Palace in Manila on 21 February.

Also present on the occasion were former Philippine president Mr Fidel V Ramos, ministers, the Philippine Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and officials, high-ranking officials, ambassadors of ASEAN nations to the Philippines, members of Philippine-Myanmar Economic Council, entrepreneurs, and magnificent guests.

Those present greeted the Philippine President and the Myanmar Prime Minister.

The Philippine President delivered a speech. (reported separately)

The Prime Minister also delivered a speech. (reported separately)

The Philippine President hosted the luncheon to those present.

Before returning to hotel, the Prime Minister and party were seen off by the Philippine President.

Source: "The New Light Of Myanmar", www.myanmar.com/nlm/