G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting Chair's Statement

G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting Chair's Statement

Washington, DC

April 12, 2012

Burma/Myanmar

The Ministers welcomed recent positive developments in Burma/Myanmar, including

the April 1 parliamentary by-election, and other significant steps the Government of

Burma/Myanmar has taken toward democratic reform and national reconciliation.

They underlined their readiness to assist Burma/Myanmar in advancing reforms and

stressed the need for the international community to support these efforts. The

Ministers praised the opportunity for all opposition parties, including the National

League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi, to participate in the electoral

process; progress toward preliminary ceasefires with armed ethnic groups; the

release of a significant number of political prisoners; and measures to eliminate

forced labor. The Ministers will consider the easing of sanctions to help this country

embed reform and fully integrate into international and regional political and

economic processes. At the same time, the Ministers called on the Government of

Burma/Myanmar to continue reform and reconciliation efforts, and undertake the

unconditional release of all remaining prisoners of conscience and the removal of

legal conditions placed on those already released; further steps to end all violence in

ethnic minority areas; providing unfettered international humanitarian access to

conflict zones and internally displaced persons; and severing of military ties with

North Korea, in accordance with Burma/Myanmar’s international obligations

regarding non-proliferation.