日メコン会議、当面見送り　ミャンマー情勢で批判警戒―政府

　政府は、３月までに国内開催を予定していたタイ、カンボジア、ラオス、ミャンマー、ベトナムのメコン川流域５カ国との外相会議を、当面見送る方針を固めた。クーデターが起きたミャンマーから国軍の任命した外相が参加すれば、欧米各国を中心に「軍事政権を認めるのか」との批判を浴びかねないと判断した。複数の政府関係者が２７日、明らかにした。
　日メコンは毎年、外相・首脳会議をそれぞれ開催。日本側は３年ごとに東京へ招待している。（2021/03/27-14:50）

The Japanese government plans to put on hold a foreign ministers' meeting with Mekong River countries following last month's coup in Myanmar, government sources said Saturday.
   A participation by the military-led government in Myanmar will draw backlash mainly from Western countries, the sources said.
   Tokyo has maintained relations with Myanmar's military. But "the current situation makes Myanmar's participation difficult," one of the sources said, referring to the deaths of many protesters in the country following the military takeover.
   "It's far from certain how the framework of Japan-Mekong relations will evolve," a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.
   The foreign ministers and leaders from Japan and the five Mekong River countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam meet every year on separate occasions.