Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Government of Myanmar's Announcement of the Timing for Holding its National Convention

March 31, 2004

Japan takes note of the Government of Myanmar's announcement of the timing for holding its National Convention, the significant initial phase of the Roadmap aimed at Myanmar's democratization, as an important step toward achieving that goal.
Japan has stressed the significance of the participation of all the parties concerned in the National Convention including each minority group, and the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and so on. Japan intends to closely watch the developments, as the Government of Myanmar clearly states that it is exerting efforts for the participation of all the relevant parties.
The Government of Japan earnestly hopes that this announcement will lead to substantial progress in the democratization process.

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