The government is planning to start providing yen loans to Myanmar for the first time since the late 1980s to help the long-isolated country's economic development, Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba said Tuesday.
"I feel that the ongoing democratization and national reconciliation are real," Genba said in a speech in Tokyo. "To further accelerate these positive moves in Myanmar, I believe it is essential to build infrastructure on a full scale and to that end the restart of loans is needed."
Genba said Japan will "play a leading role in the international community" in helping Myanmar — which has recently introduced a range of reforms after years of military repression — achieve sustainable development.
Genba indicated that the restart of the assistance may be formally announced during a meeting between Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Myanmar President Thein Sein on the sidelines of the Japan-Mekong summit April 21 in Tokyo.