The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

Today, the Secretary-General convened and chaired the first high-level meeting of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General on Myanmar. This was the sixth meeting of the Group since it was established in December 2007.

The Secretary-General thanks all the Friends for their high-level participation in a useful and constructive discussion. He also welcomes the participation by the ministers from several concerned countries as well as by the Secretary-General of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the High Representative of the European Union, in today’s meeting. This is a clear signal of the importance that the international community attaches to the situation in Myanmar.

he members of the Group were unanimous in expressing their continued strong support for the Secretary-General’s good offices and for its implementation through his Special Adviser, Ibrahim Gambari.

While noting the recent actions taken by the Government of Myanmar, members of the Group also further encouraged it to work more closely with and respond more positively with the United Nations good offices to address key issues of concern to the international community, especially the release of political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the initiation of an all-inclusive dialogue between the Government and the opposition.

Members of the Group encouraged all parties in Myanmar to seize the opportunity of the United Nations good offices, while stressing the responsibility of the Myanmar Government to demonstrate its stated commitment to cooperation with the good offices through further tangible results.