Japan to hold meeting with Mekong states including Myanmar on Aug. 6

Japan plans to hold a virtual foreign ministerial meeting next week with five Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong River, including Myanmar where the military seized power in a coup in February, Japanese government sources said Thursday.

The meeting arranged for Aug. 6 comes after Japan postponed the gathering, initially planned by March this year, fearing that holding it would be seen as recognizing the military junta in Myanmar, the sources said.

But Japan decided to go ahead with the meeting after China hosted a meeting with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations including Myanmar in June, and the United States also met virtually with ASEAN foreign ministers on July 14, they said.

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