Differences remain betweeen EU and ASEAN over Burma
21 March (ABC) - A spat between Southeast Asian nations and the European Union over Burma's participation at October's Asia-Europe Meeting in Hanoi, continues.
The two-day summit of heads of state and government from Asia and Europe has been put in jeopardy as a result of the EU's concerns over the human rights situation in Burma.
ASEAN wants its newer members -- Cambodia, Laos and Burma -- to be included in return for the participation of the 10 new EU candidate countries, who officially join the bloc in May.
However, the EU, and in particular Britain, is opposed to Burma's entry unless the military regime lifts restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of her National League for Democracy.
Earlier this month, ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Vietnam insisted that all its members must take part in the summit.
Neither the EU nor ASEAN have given any ground in the dispute, but Britain's deputy foreign minister, Mike O'Brien, was in Hanoi last week saying a solution must be found.