Japan and the Southeast Asian countries on the Mekong River issued a joint statement Friday calling for free and fair elections in Burma.
The Mekong summit, which met on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, also called for the Korean Peninsula to become a nuclear-free zone.
The group, including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma and Vietnam, issued an action plan calling for Japanese economic aid and technical help to develop transportation and energy resources in the Mekong River region, while protecting its environment.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters in Hanoi Friday that it is not too late for a credible, democratic transition in Burma, which is planning to hold controversial elections on November 7.