The EU ministers are expected to slap a slew of new sanctions on Myanmar's military regime, including new bans on investments, visa bans and a freeze on junta members' assets. They will be seeking to expand bans on imports from Myanmar -- also known as Burma -- of such products as timber, gemstones and precious metals.
At their regular monthly meeting, they are expected to reiterate international demands that Myanmar's leaders cease "all violent repression and intimidation" against pro-democracy demonstrators and call for the release of political prisoners, including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years, diplomats said.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has called for the 27-nation bloc to send a human rights envoy to meet with Myanmar's military leaders.
The new measures do not include a specific ban on European oil and gas companies from doing business in Myanmar, diplomats said -- but they could be added in the future, along with efforts to freeze Myanmar junta leaders' assets in other Asian nations such as Singapore or China.
Before today's meeting began, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged the world's largest economies to provide recovery support to Myanmar if its ruling junta agrees to democratic reforms.
But he said the UK would push for tough sanctions against the military regime if it does not end the violence against its own people.
