UN special envoy makes first visit to Myanmar following devastating quake
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Phyo (NP News)
Julie Bishop, the UN special envoy for Myanmar, has visited the country for the first time since her appointment last year. Her trip comes as Myanmar continues to recover from a devastating earthquake that claimed over 3,600 lives.
During her visit on Wednesday (April 9), Bishop held talks with Foreign Minister Than Swe and other officials at a temporary tented area outside of the ministry's damaged building in Naypyidaw.
During the meeting, they exchanged views on the coordination between Myanmar and the United Nations in providing assistance and response to the earthquake-affected population.
The special envoy also expressed her condolences and sympathy for the loss of life and property due to the Mandalay earthquake in Myanmar.
Bishop, a former Australian foreign minister and currently the chancellor of the Australian National University, was named to the UN role by Secretary-General António Guterres in April of last year.
Prior to Julie Bishop’s visit to Myanmar, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that her trip would "reinforce the UN's commitment to peace and dialogue."
The office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General also confirmed that Bishop had visited Malaysia—an important UN partner in supporting a Myanmar-led resolution to the ongoing crisis and in addressing urgent humanitarian needs in the aftermath of the earthquake. –