Suu Kyi invites UN chief to Panglong conference

State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday and invited him to attend the second round of the 21st Century Panglong Conference next week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

Speaking to the UN chief at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing yesterday, Suu Kyi discussed issues related to Burma’s peace process and national reconciliation, according to the ministry.

The 21^st Century Panglong Conference, also known as the Union Peace Conference, will convene on 24 May.

The state counsellor also attended and participated in a roundtable discussion at the two-day Belt and Road Forum on International Cooperation in the Chinese capital.

“A closer people-to-people bond and a peaceful and stable environment based on mutual understanding and respect are the basic principles for the success of the One Belt, One Road programme,” she said, referring to the ambitious Chinese plan to create a more interconnected world.

The roundtable discussion was attended by the heads of state from 29 countries including the host country China, as well Guterres and the presidents of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Guterres’ predecessor, Ban Ki-moon, attended the first round of the 21st Century Panglong Conference last year, giving a speech on the opening day, 31 August.