Yangon, May 1 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday met Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and hailed her efforts for bring democracy in the country.
Ban congratulated Suu Kyi — also the leader of Myanmar’s National League for Democracy party — for being elected to parliament. Tuesday was the last day of Ban’s three-day official visit to the country, Xinhua reported.
Inviting Suu Kyi to visit the UN headquarters in New York, Ban voiced UN’s support for the improvement of democracy and human rights in Myanmar.
Ban arrived Myanmar Sunday. On Monday, he met President U Thein Sein and speakers of the two houses of parliament in the new capital Naypyidaw.
An agreement was signed between the two sides on providing Myanmar with technical assistance and helping mobilise financial support for the first census since 1983.
Addressing the parliament Monday, Ban urged the international community to lift, ease and suspend trade restrictions on Myanmar.
This was Ban’s third trip to Myanmar. The first was in 2008 when cyclone Nargis struck the country. He visited again in 2009 but missed meeting Suu Kyi as she was under house arrest at that time.
