Oct 16, 2007 (AP), Southeast Asian nations will fully support U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari’s mission to coax Myanmar’s military government to reconcile with the pro-democracy opposition, a Malaysian minister said Tuesday, but ruled out imposing sanctions against the junta.

On his second stop in a six-nation Asian tour, Gambari met with Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who told him that the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations wants to "see the success" of his negotiating work.

"ASEAN is supporting him fully in all his efforts," Syed Hamid told a news conference. "At present, we must leave it to the United Nations. ASEAN’s most important role is to give its encouragement and support."

Gambari declined to take questions from reporters, but said he was delivering a message to Malaysia about "the support that the United Nations needs from ASEAN and neighboring countries so that we can address the crisis in Myanmar at the moment, but more importantly, the long term issues