United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon met with Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Myanmar's National League for Democracy, for the first time at her lakeside residence in Yangon on Tuesday, the last day of Ban's three-day official visit to the country.
Ban hailed Suu Kyi's efforts to advance democracy in Myanmar, congratulating her for being elected as a parliamentarian and admiring her decision to prepare for the parliament debut.
He voiced UN's support of the process to improve democracy and human rights in Myanmar.
He invited Suu Kyi to visit the UN headquarters in New York at an appropriate time.
Ban arrived in Myanmar on Sunday for the historic visit in light of significant changes taking place in the country.
While in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday, Ban met with President U Thein Sein and speakers of the two Houses Thura U Shwe Mann and U Khin Aung Myint.
They discussed a wide range of issues related to promotion of cooperation between the UN and Myanmar.
An agreement was signed between the UN and Myanmar on providing the latter with technical assistance and helping mobilise financial support for the country's first census since 1983.
Addressing the parliament in Nay Pyi Taw, Ban urged the international community to go further in lifting, easing and suspending trade restrictions and other sanctions on Myanmar.
Before meeting with Suu Kyi, Ban had toured eastern Shan state and looked into the ongoing project of drug elimination implemented by the UN Office on Drug and Crime.
This is Ban's third trip to Myanmar. His first tour was in 2008 when Cyclone Nargis struck the country. During his second visit in 2009, he had been barred from meeting Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest at that time.
