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Burma hails 'ally' S'pore



Date:	06 Oct 1997 
	The Nation 

Burma hails 'ally' S'pore 
Agence France-Presse 
RANGOON ­ Burma's official press yesterday hailed Singapore as a "staunch 
ally" of Rangoon, which is leading the way in engaging the military state and 
investing in the country's developing economy. 
Bilateral relations had "deepened" in the past decade and Burma's entry into 
Asean was allowing relations to move to a "higher level," said an editorial in 
the English-language New Light of Myanmar daily. 
The comment came after Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the 
ruling junta, attended a joint ministerial meeting with Singapore on Saturday 
and declared that Burma was ready to enter the regional mainstream. 
"Singapore has been among Myanmar's [Burma's] staunchest allies practising 
constructive engagement when those hostile to Myanmar were trying to keep her 
out of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [Asean]," the editorial 
said. 
Despite Western pressure, Burma was admitted into Asean last July, joining a 
group committed to establishing a regional free trade area over the next 
decade.