U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says neighboring countries must help steer Burma toward democracy.
The United Nations said Mr. Annan discussed Burma with Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and representatives of other nations earlier this week at the international AIDS conference in Bangkok.
Mr. Annan said countries in the region must help accelerate democratization and national reconciliation in Burma, beginning with the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Burma's military government has kept the Nobel laureate under house arrest since last year, despite international criticism.
The European Union has threatened to cancel an Asia-Europe summit in October over the Burma issue.
The U.N. Secretary General says international consultations on Burma are a possibility.
Information for this report is provided by UN Dialy Briefing and AFP.