ADB to lift ban of aid to Myanmar

ADB president Haruhiko Kuroda spoke to Japanese reporters in Manila on Friday.
Kuroda said his bank wants to help Myanmar, as democratic reforms there are moving ahead and the international community is beginning to support such moves.The head of the Asian Development Bank says it will resume aid to Myanmar, ending a 25-year-old ban.

The comments follow decisions by the US and European nations to partially lift or suspend sanctions against Myanmar. Japan's government has also decided to resume yen loans to the country and cancel its debts to Japan.Kuroda said the ADB would first resume technological aid and help with human resources.

But he said the bank will not supply new loans until Myanmar's unpaid debts of 490-million dollars to the ADB are settled.Kuroda further revealed that the ADB will raise 12-billion dollars for the Asian Development Fund in the coming 4 years to help poor countries -- the largest ever amount.