The ASEAN General Secretary welcomed the suspension of European Union sanctions against Myanmar, calling it "the right thing to do at the right time". In a press release yesterday Surin Pitsuwan said all ASEAN member states welcome the end of sanctions against Myanmar to reward a series of dramatic reforms since direct army rule ended last year. At a meeting in Luxembourg foreign ministers from the 27-nation EU bloc agreed to suspend sanctions against 500 individuals and 800 firms.