YANGON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar held a symposium here Sunday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence which is falling on June 28.

In his opening address at the symposium, Myanmar Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin called for paying special tribute to visionary leaders of three countries of China, India and Myanmar who are the founding fathers of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

He recalled that the leaders 60 years ago courageously made the historic decision to introduce the principles which have now become basic norms and guiding principles in international relations.

He spoke of the great significance of the principles that to some extent helped to prevent the outbreak of wars and contributed to world peace.

Citing that Myanmar's independent and active foreign policy is based on the five principles, he said the relations between Myanmar and China are bound to deepen further in the long term based on the Paukphaw kinship, mutual understanding and good neighborliness existing throughout the long history of friendship which has further developed to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

"The development of the good neighborly relations between Myanmar and China will contribute towards the fundamental interest of the two peoples and peace, stability and development of the region as a whole," he held.

He stressed that Myanmar and China also support each other in the international arena. "Myanmar always adheres to the One China policy while China always stand by at the Myanmar side," he said.

Appraising India's "Look East Policy", he underlined that the policy has brought the two countries even closer as both countries are making efforts to prosper together in the region.

Touching on Myanmar's external relations, he said Myanmar seeks to promote friendly relations with all countries particularly with neighbors in the region.

He called for joining hand-in-hand to open up even brighter prospects for China-India-Myanmar relationship and for the rest of the world.

At the commemorative function, Vice Chairman of China-Myanmar Friendship Association Geng Zhiyuan noted that since the introduction of the five principles 60 years ago, the five principles have become the norms for handling state-to-state relations and made monumental contribution to the promotion of cooperation between Asian countries, world peace and human civilization regardless of changing international situation.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, jointly initiated by three countries' prime ministers -- Zhou Enlai (China), U Nu ( Myanmar) and Jawaharlal Nehru (India) in response to the trend of the time, are "Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, mutual non- interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and cooperation for mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence".

In 1955 the principals were accepted at Bandung Conference and remain alive today.

Attending the function were Chinese diplomats, Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Gautam Mukhopadhaya, members of Myanmar- China Friendship Association, representatives from political parties and civil society.