Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi plans to meet Myanmar's new prime minister, Lt. Gen. Soe Win, during a summit of the so-called ASEAN-plus-three summit that begins Monday in Laos, government sources said Friday.
Koizumi hopes to ask Soe Win how he will proceed with democratization in Myanmar amid international concern following the replacement of Prime Minister Gen. Khin Nyunt in October, the sources said.
Japan and Myanmar are trying to set the meeting for Monday night, they said.
Koizumi is expected to ask Myanmar to pursue democratization with the participation of all parties, indirectly urging the release of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, the sources said.
The ASEAN-plus-three meeting involves the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Japan, China and South Korea.
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