Japan and Burma are looking to build upon their historical relationship on railways cooperation with both premiers scheduled to discuss the topic at an upcoming Japan-ASEAN summit in December.

BUSINESS IN BURMA THIS WEEK: Sponsors for the SEA Games; international oil firms post finals bids for Burma's offshore reserves; Japan in position to take over Dawei project; Singaporean bank looks to cater for increased bilateral trade; and Pepsi enters the cola wars.

Thailand and Burma seized control on Thursday of the multi-billion dollar Dawei special economic zone from Italian Thai Development Pcl to rescue the floundering project and convince foreign investors to finally come on board.

THIS WEEK IN BURMESE BUSINESS NEWS: Mining law to be redrafted; Burma's rubber exports receive a boost; Thai pharmaceutical firm steps up presence in Burma; and read how was the country rated by the World Bank as conducive to business investment.

Japan's approach to foreign investment, characterised by poor transparency and an indifference to human rights, is becoming a threat to Burma's fragile reform process.

Burma and Japan have agreed to step up cooperation on development projects, with a special focus on tackling HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in the poverty-stricken country, state media reported on Friday.