Abe and Thein Sein, who is to attend a special summit of Japanese and ASEAN leaders from Friday in Tokyo, will also sign a memorandum of understanding on Japanese support for Myanmar's health and medical sectors in the meeting likely to take place Sunday, the source said.
Abe promised to provide more than 90 billion yen in loans and grants during his visit to Myanmar in May, and the fresh pledge will push total economic aid promised under his administration above 150 billion yen.
The pledges are aimed at putting a brake on China's moves to enhance ties with Myanmar while helping Japanese businesses to enter Myanmar's market, the source said.
The loan is chiefly designed to help build infrastructure for the Thilawa Special Economic Zone in the suburbs of Yangon, Myanmar's largest city. The zone is expected to begin commercial operation in 2015.
Major Japanese trading houses and Myanmar companies earlier signed an agreement to create a joint venture to develop an industrial complex in the Thilawa zone.
The Myanmar government wants foreign companies to invest in the zone to nurture its industry, including autos.
In the health and medical field, Japan is seeking to help construct hospitals in Myanmar and transfer personnel training systems to help Myanmar educate and produce doctors, the source said.
Abe is also expected to pledge to provide assistance in public health, agriculture and other areas to boost the living standards of ethnic minorities living near Myanmar's border with China and other districts.
On the sidelines of the regional summit, Abe will hold a string of bilateral talks with counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
source: Global Post
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