Myanmar Prime Minister Lieut. Gen. Soe Win has called on his country's youth to keep national solidarity and the union spirit alive among people and actively take part in rural and national development tasks.

Soe Win made the appeal at a dinner on Sunday in honor of the trainees of the University for Development of National Races, the official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Monday.

It is Soe Win's first public speech days after rumors about thegovernment leadership emerged.

He said that the university was opened with seven objectives, including strengthening the union spirit among the national races of the union; preserving and understanding their culture and good traditions; and upholding the causes of non-disintegration of the union, non-disintegration of the national solidarity and ensuring the perpetuation of the sovereignty of the state.

He also urged active participation in their respective roles for the success of the government's seven-point political roadmap to democracy, under which the adjourning session since last July of the country's national convention to draw up a new state constitution has been set to resume on Feb. 17.

The political roadmap was outlined as the country was undergoing a national referendum on draft of the constitution through the national convention, holding a general election to produce parliament representatives and forming a new democratic government.

Source: Xinhua