Bangkok: Myanmar's president Thein Sein has cancelled his participation at this week's World Economic Forum East Asia meet here where opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be present.
"The Myanmar president, Thein Sein, will be coming to Thailand, but he has postponed it for a few days," Senior Director and Head of Asia, WEF, Suchanth Palakurthi Rao, said on Monday.
Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, chairperson of Myanmar's National League for Democracy, will attend a WEF forum panel session on June 1.
"Thein Sein is now scheduled to arrive in Thailand for an official visit on June 3-4," Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi was quoted by Nation newspaper as saying.
"The Myanmar foreign ministry said he could not attend the WEF due to his need to stay in the country during that period," he said.
Thein Sein was invited to the forum, which will host Nobel laureate Suu Kyi as part of her historic first appearance outside Myanmar after 24 years.
Besides Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, four heads of foreign governments -- Nguyen Tan Dung, the prime minister of Vietnam; Thongsing Thammavong, prime minister of Laos; Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, president of Indonesia; and His Royal Highness Prince Al Khalifa, prime minister of Bahrain -- have confirmed participation at the conference.
PTI
First Published: Monday, May 28, 2012, 23:05