Aung San Suu Kyi Addresses the 7th Session of United Nations General Assembly
Aung San Suu Kyi made her first speech at the UN General Assembly since forming the new government and called for international understanding as Myanmar grapples with sectarian tensions. The state counsellor and foreign minister said the new government was standing firm against the forces of prejudice and intolerance in troubled Rakhine state.
Ministry of Education and Ministry of Energy Appoint Deputy Ministers
Deputy Ministers have been appointed for Ministry of Electricity and Energy as well as for Ministry of Education. Dr Tun Naing, a PHD degree holder from Japan University and former Director of Ministry of Electrical Power, has been appointed as a Deputy Minister for Ministry of Electricity and Energy. Win Maw Tun, a director general of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Department of Technical and Vocational Education previously, has been appointed as Deputy Minister of Ministry of Education.
Aung San Sun Kyi Heads to the West
On September 10, State Counsellor Aung San Su Kyi began her travels to the United Kingdom and the United States. She attended the 71st session of the UN general assembly in New York. It was her first visit outside of Asia since her National League for Democracy party won the election. While she was in UK, she met with Rt Hon John Bercow MP, the Speaker of the House of Commons at the Palace of Westminster in London on September 12. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Kyaw Tin, Myanmar Ambassador to Britain Kyaw Swa Min, and other officials were present at the meeting. Their discussion was focused on the process of peace and national reconciliation in Myanmar and the Rakhine issue. On September 13, Su Kyi held talks with Prime Minister Theresa May. They mainly discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral relations and trade between the countries. Su kyi requested Britain to help Myanmar’s agriculture, forestry, education, health, human resource development sectors. While in the US, Su Kyi met with President Obama to discuss Myanmar’s political transition. Obama has reinstated the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) benefits for Myanmar and Myanmar will be able to export about 5,000 products to the United States duty-free. The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is a system which provides duty-free treatment for goods from poor and developing countries.
Chin State to Receive $10 Million USD Grant from ADB
Asian Development Bank and Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation signed an agreement for a $10 million grant. The grant was from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) to renovate infrastructure in Chin State which was affected by heavy rains and landslides by Cyclone Komen last year. Its main areas of focus will be to restore roads and bridges. Community assets such as power systems and water supplies will also be restored following the concept of building-back-better to ensure increased resilience to future disasters. The grant is going to help spur early recovery of affected people and communities, estimated around 30 percent of Chin state’s population. Since 2012, the Government of Japan-supported JFPR has been supported 18 projects in Myanmar in areas including education, livelihood development, finance, transport and energy
