TOKYO (AP) — Burma’s president says his country is eager for Japanese investment as it undergoes political and economic reforms.

President Thein Sein is visiting Tokyo for this weekend’s summit between the leaders of Japan and five Mekong region nations — Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Burma.

Thein Sein said Japanese investment and know-how was needed to help Burma develop and shrink the economic gap between the Mekong region and other countries in Southeast Asia.

Japanese companies have held back from investing in Burma in recent years because they didn’t want to upset relations with the U.S. and the EU, which have imposed sanctions on the country.

Recently, there have been moves toward lifting of Western sanctions after Burma’s nominally civilian government implement a series of political reforms over the past year.