Myanmar opposition leader leaves for Japan

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi left here Friday evening for Japan via Bangkok on a week-long historic visit to the East Asian nation, sources with the National League for Democracy (NLD) said. At the invitation of Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, Suu Kyi, chairperson of the NLD and parliamentarian with the Lower House, is paying her first visit to Japan in 30 years since she stayed in Kyoto University as a visiting researcher from 1985 to 1986. In addition to meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Gemba in Tokyo, Suu Kyi will gather in the Japanese capital with Myanmar citizens residing in Japan as well as entrepreneurs and give speech at the Tokyo University. She will visit a small-scale hydropower plant in Kyoto and address at Kyoto University and Ryukoku University. During her trip, Suu Kyi will also meet the chairpersons of Japan's House of Councilors and House of Representatives. New relations between Myanmar and Japan have opened up after Gemba visited Myanmar in December 2011. In late April 2012 after Myanmar's by-election, in which Aung San Suu Kyi won a seat of the House of Representative, President U Thein Sein paid a first historic milestone visit to Japan in 28 years. In January 2013, Japanese Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso also visited Myanmar and since then Japan stepped up its economic activities in the country. Japan's investment in Myanmar reached 259.86 million U.S. dollars by the end of 2012 since Myanmar opened to such investment in late 1988 and ranked the 12th in Myanmar's foreign investment line-up. In the fiscal year 2011-12, trade between Myanmar and Japan nearly doubled, reaching 822.5 million dollars compared with 2010- 11's 493.8 million dollars. Meanwhile, Myanmar has cleared in January the due debt of 502. 457 billion yens (over 5 billion U.S. dollars) owed to Japan since 1970 by settling the remaining debt of 198.881 billion yens ( nearly 2 billion U.S. dollars) with a bridge loans from three Japanese banks. Those arrears of 303.576 billion yens (over 3 billion dollars) will be written off by Japan within one year in support of democratization and national reconciliation efforts as well as economic and social reform process of the Myanmar government. As a follow-up, the Japanese government announced taking steps to offer very-low-interest rate development loan and assistance to Myanmar which will use in people-centered development.