By EuAsiaNews,
Brussels : The European Union called Tuesday on all organisations and states in the region, in particular ASEAN, China and India, to do all they can to persuade the authorities of Burma/Myanmar to co-operate with the international community and to offer practical and logistical support to the UN-led relief work.
EU development ministers met for a special session here Tuesday afternoon to assess the humanitarian situation in Burma/Myanmar in the wake of the cyclone Nargis.
They issued a joint statement calling on the Burmese authorities to “offer free and unfettered access to international humanitarian experts and to take urgent action to facilitate the flow of aid. ”
With EU Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, Louis Michel, about to travel to Burma, the ministers expressed support for his efforts to ensure access for humanitarian aid workers to the affected areas, for without the cooperation of the Burmese authorities, an even greater tragedy is threatened.
The European Commission pledged last week to give 2 million euro in emergency aid to Burma.