UN envoy hopes to return to Myanmar in early March

The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Myanmar said today he hopes to return to the South-East Asian nation in the first week of March, adding that the authorities there are currently in the process of inviting him.

The visit will be Ibrahim Gambari’s third to the country since last summer’s crackdown by the Myanmar authorities on peaceful protesters.

Mr. Gambari is currently in Jakarta, following a visit to Beijing, as part of his regional consultations to help promote democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar.

Speaking to reporters after his meeting with senior Indonesian officials, including Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, Mr. Gambari said that they share very common objectives for a peaceful, united, stable, prosperous Myanmar, moving along the path of democracy with full respect for human rights.

He added that the authorities in Myanmar made some significant announcements in terms of timelines for implementing its political road map, referring to the Government’s intention to hold a constitutional referendum this May, followed by multi-party democratic elections in 2010.

It is very important that Myanmar works together with neighbouring countries, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the international community to enhance the credibility of this constitutional process and to make national reconciliation more inclusive, he stressed.

Continuing his regional meetings, Mr. Gambari is expected to travel to Singapore next week and then to Tokyo.