European Union statement on Burma -

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/114004.pdf



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COUNCIL OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION
EN
Council conclusions on Burma/Myanmar
3009th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting
Luxembourg, 26 April 2010
The Council adopted the following conclusions:
"1. The Council reaffirms the EU’s unwavering commitment to the people
of Burma/Myanmar.
The EU remains a major donor to the country and stands ready to
increase its assistance to the
people of Burma/Myanmar, in order to improve their social and economic
conditions.
2. The Council calls upon the authorities of Burma/Myanmar to take
steps to bring about a
peaceful transition to a democratic, civilian and inclusive system of
government. The Council
underlines that the political and socio-economic challenges facing the
country can only be
addressed through genuine dialogue between all stakeholders, including
the ethnic groups and
the opposition.
3. The Council expresses its serious concerns that election laws as
published in early March do
not provide for free and fair elections and notes that the authorities
of Burma/Myanmar still
have to take the steps necessary to make the planned elections later
this year a credible,
transparent and inclusive process. The Council reiterates its call for
the release of the political
prisoners and detainees, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
4. The Council deems it necessary to extend the restrictive measures
provided for in the current
EU Decision by another year. The Council underlines its readiness to
revise, amend or
reinforce the measures it has already adopted in light of developments
on the ground. The EU
stands ready to respond positively to genuine progress in Burma/Myanmar.
5. To help achieve the progress needed, the EU is ready to continue
its dialogue with the
authorities of Burma/Myanmar and all other relevant stakeholders. It
intends to send an
exploratory mission to the country, in order to hold high level talks,
in the hope of building
trust and helping the political process to move towards the intended goals.
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6. The Council expresses its strong support for the continued work of
EU Special Envoy Piero
Fassino and invites the Burma/Myanmar authorities to cooperate fully with him.
7. The Council urges the government of Burma/Myanmar to engage more
with the international
community, to work towards a peaceful transition to democracy. It
reaffirms the EU’s support
for the Good Offices Mission of the UN Secretary General and welcomes
his continued
personal commitment to further the political process, and calls upon
the authorities of
Burma/Myanmar to engage with the UN in a meaningful manner. The EU
will continue to
actively support the group of friends of the UNSG and raise the
situation in the country, and
its possible implications for regional stability, with key actors,
including ASEAN and its
Member States, the United States, Australia, China, India, Japan and Russia.
8. The Council welcomes the ASEAN Chairman's statement of 9 April 2010
from the 16th
Summit, which underscored the importance of national reconciliation in
Myanmar and the
holding of the general election in a free, fair and inclusive manner.
The Council also
welcomes statements from individual ASEAN members, as well as Japan,
on the need for
release of all political prisoners and detainees, including Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi. The EU
looks forward to a continued close dialogue with our ASEAN partners on
the issue - next time
at the upcoming EU/ASEAN ministerial in May in Madrid.
9. The Council welcomes the adoption of Resolution 13/25 of the UN
Human Rights Council,
and endorses the Progress report by the UN Special Rapporteur, Mr
Quintana. It calls upon
the authorities of Burma/Myanmar to cooperate with him in a
constructive manner and
comply in full with the UN's recommendations, by taking urgent
measures to put an end to
violations of international human rights and humanitarian law."
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