[Myanmar] Japanese Pm To Focus On Economic Links In Visit To Burma Next Month

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will travel to Burma in late May as Tokyo seeks to strengthen its economic ties with the Southeast Asian nation, Kyodo News reported. In the first visit by a Japanese prime minister in 36 years, Abe will meet with President Thein Sein to discuss accelerating investment and development projects in Burma. Japan has been ramping up its involvement in the country since Thein Sein’s reformist government took power in March 2011. Tokyo’s efforts have ranged from poverty reduction and infrastructure development to capacity building and support for Burma’s ethnic minorities.