United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday that he has been encouraged by his discussions with Myanmar authorities in recent days on relief efforts following Cyclone Nargis.
"The Myanmar government appears to be moving toward the right direction," Ban, who had just returned from a visit to Myanmar, told reporters. "I hope – and I believe – that this marks a new spirit of cooperation and partnership between Myanmar and the international community as a whole."
Ban said Senior-General Than Shwe of Myanmar had agreed to allow all international aid workers to operate freely and without hindrance and that they have agreed to establish several forward logistics hubs and to open new air, sea and road links to the most affected areas.
"Prompt and full implementation will be the key," the UN chief said, "I will be fully, continuously and personally engaged."
"I look forward to returning, before too long, to see for myself the progress we have made," Ban said.
He described Sunday's pledging conference as a "good beginning".
"Apart from the tens of millions of dollars pledged by the member states, it was an important exercise toward building greater trust, confidence and cooperation between the government of Myanmar and the international community," Ban said, "I saw a strong unity of purpose and a sense of urgency at the meeting."
"We have... a chance for a new beginning. We should make the most of it," he said.
Also on Tuesday, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said the world body has raised 60 percent of the funding it has appealed for helping Myanmar cope with the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.
"There was a strong sense of unity and purpose and a clear determination to scale up the relief effort to reach all of those in need," he said.
