2 June

Union Minister from the Ministry of the Office of the State Counsellor U Kyaw Tint Swe attended the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia at the Imperial Hotel, in Tokyo, Japan on May 31, 2019. The conference was organized by Nikkei Inc.

He held talks with the Chairman of the Japan International Cooperation Agency – (JICA) Mr. Shinichi Kitaoka at the Imperial Hotel, where they discussed matters concerning development schemes implemented in Myanmar, rendering assistance for human resource development and JICA’s assistance to carry out transforming the regional administration and management sectors.

In the afternoon, he delivered a keynote speech on “Is Asia a Primer for a Global Trade Order?” and which was included in the theme of “Seeking a New Global Order-Overcoming the Chaos”. In his speech, the Union Minister put emphasis on the protection the national interests in some countries of the world, the U.S withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a tense situation of world trade due to the friction of the two World Economies, some factors that can affect the global economy and its impacts on some countries in the world including Myanmar. He discussed matters concerning gaining benefits of the trade and investment sectors in terms of Asian Countries, especially for ASEAN Countries due to Rules-based Multilateral Trading, Direct Investment in the region on account of relaxation of the rules, procedures, tariff and non-tariff barriers, economic mechanisms such as Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blue Print 2025 to improve economy, trade and investment, and conditions to gain more benefits in cooperation with people-to-people relations in the ASEAN region.

At the Q&A session after the speech, the Union Minister answered queries regarding the measures of the Myanmar Government to strengthen the democratic system, efforts being taken for internal peace, implementation process of the infrastructure including Myanmar-China economic corridor, preparatory arrangements for the return of displaced persons from the Rakhine State, Myanmar’s readiness to accept the verified returnees, lack of cooperation from the Bangladesh side, and the dignified return of the returnees through positive cooperation with Bangladesh to implement the repatriation process early in line with the bilateral agreements with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The Union Minister met with Japanese Foreign Minister Mr. Taro Kono at the Foreign Ministry in the evening. During the meeting, they exchanged views on promoting bilateral relations, internal peace process, economic cooperation, Bangladesh’s lack of cooperation to accept the ICoE’s proposal to go to Bangladesh although the agreement had been made with the Foreign Ministry and the latest development of the repatriation process in the Rakhine State. In his meeting, the Japanese Foreign Minister added that Japan would fully support with Myanmar’s democratization process and all-round development. The meeting was attended by Myanmar Ambassador to Japan U Thurain Thant Zin and officials. Following this, Union Minister U Kyaw Tint Swe attended a dinner hosted by the Chairman of the Japan-Myanmar Friendship Association and former Member of the House of Representatives Mr. Hideo Watanabe.—MNA (Translated by Win Ko Ko Aung)