Burma still on EU blacklist: EU official ( AFP ) January 25, 2003

Burma still on EU blacklist: EU official

BRUSSELS, (AFP)

Burma's participation in an EU-Southeast Asia meeting next week does not imply any change to EU disapproval of the country's military regime, an official said Friday.

Despite an EU visa ban against Burma's leaders, Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win is to attend the Brussels gathering between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday and Tuesday.

His presence is allowed under an exception to the visa ban that permits Burma's junta leaders to attend meetings in the European Union that discuss human rights and democracy, the EU official said.

But she added: "We remain as concerned as ever about the situation in Burma. There is no improvement.

"Our concerns about human rights and the need for a rapid return to democracy mean that many years ago, we imposed sanctions on Burma and we see no justification for reversing that."

The EU had previously refused to hold high-level talks in Europe with ASEAN following military-run Burma's admittance to the Southeast Asian club in 1997.

The EU, together with the United States, has imposed sanctions on Burma in a bid to press the junta to initiate reform. They include an arms embargo and a travel ban on members of the regime.

But the EU does not want the Burma issue to distract from more pressing concerns it has with ASEAN, the official said on condition of anonymity.

"There are a lot of things we could be doing together. We are not fully exploiting the potential of the relationship," she said.

In 2001, the EU was ASEAN's second-largest export market and third-largest trading partner after the United States and Japan.

ASEAN exports to the EU were estimated at 65.7 billion euros (70 billion dollars), while the region's imports from the EU were valued at 42.2 billion euros.

The EU is also keen to discuss the fight against terrorism at the two-day meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers.