Countries & Regions

Hon. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, Chairperson of the National League for Democracy, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Prime Minister’s Office for approximately 35 minutes from 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 18.

Following is a summary of the meeting.

1. Prime Minister Abe welcomed the first visit to Japan by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi in 27 years and explained that he visited Myanmar last year and donated funds for the construction of an elementary school.

   They exchanged views on education and agreed that upgrading educational infrastructure is the key to facilitating the development of Myanmar. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi asked for Japanese support for vocational education and agricultural education. Prime Minister Abe referred to Japanese education methods that allow people to learn while working, such as education by correspondence and evening classes, and stated that Japan hopes to assist Myanmar's own style of nation-building by introducing.

2. (1) Prime Minister Abe welcomed that democratization in Myanmar has made progress and that the foundations are being established for re-engagement in the international community and for the prosperity of the country and its people, by virtue of the efforts of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi At the same time, Prime Minister Abe added that, as reforms in Myanmar are still halfway to completion, Japan would like to provide assistance to Myanmar to help its people realize that progress toward democracy and national reconciliation will bring about affluence and to support further progress in ongoing reform.
   With regard to assistance to ethnic minorities in Myanmar, Prime Minister Abe mentioned that Japan appointed a special envoy of the government and is making contributions unique to Japan.
   Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi said she would like to make efforts as a Member of Parliament as the country enjoyed the support by Japan.

   (2) Prime Minister Abe said he knows that Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida discussed Japan's development assistance to Myanmar. Japan's public and private sectors together plan to extend assistance to Myanmar in a way that is suitable for the country in order to support Myanmar's own style of nation-building chosen by the people themselves, mindful that infrastructure building and system development through official development assistance (ODA) and private-sector investments worked closely together to contribute to the development of Southeast Asia. Noting that Japanese businesses highly evaluate the potential of Myanmar's development and are considering investments in the country, he expressed hopes of Japanese Government to support private-sector investments, which will contribute to job creation.
   Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi said Myanmar appreciates those measures by Japan.

   (3) Lastly, Prime Minister Abe said Japanese people's interest in Myanmar is growing due to the current visit to Japan by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, adding that Japan hopes to take the opportunity to strengthen collaboration between the two countries in order to promote the development of Myanmar. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi expressed gratitude for the Japanese people's interest and said she hopes that more Japanese young people will be interested in Myanmar and cooperate in its development.