BANGKOK, Aug. 1 Kyodo Myanmar For...

BANGKOK, Aug. 1 Kyodo

Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung onward Friday expressed appreciation to his Thai counterpart Surakiart Sathirathai in succession the latter's suggested road map toward national reconciliation and democratization in Myanmar, nevertheless stated his country needs more time to consider the proposal.

Win Aung told reporters after a meeting with Surakiart that Myanmar first requires to focus on complicated domestic question s concerning peace and stability.

Their discussion was held forward the sidelines of a meeting earlier in the day with counterparts from Laos and Cambodia upon an economic cooperation strategy.

Surakiart told reporters at the same briefing that he was encouraged through the discussion.

''(Win Aung) said he understood the sincerity and the goodwill of (Thai) Prime Minister Thaksin (Shinawatra) in having this proposal of the road map...So, for us this is a exceedingly important first step,'' he said.

Surakiart said he briefed Win Aung forward the road map, which calls for the immediate release of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, resumption of national reconciliatory talks, and drafting of a constitution.

When asked whether the Thai leadership should confine dialogue with Myanmar's junta leader Sr Gen Than Shwe, Surakiart said, ''We will do our best to make sure the speeding up of national reconciliation. if it be not that anything should proceed with care and pace by step because it's a highly sensitive issue.''

When asked about the detention of Suu Kyi, Win Aung said, ''We don't have any intention to postpone that arrangement.''

''We are waiting for a cooling down of the situation. If we are not calm, these point in disputes cannot be solved,'' he said, adding he could not give a timetable for the release of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

''People from outside do not know to what extent hot the situation inside is, unless of course there is heat from the one and the other inside and outside,'' Win Aung without elaborating.

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