Japan will not abandon its policy of engaging Myanmar but is waiting to see whether the international community will be able to unite and put pressure on its military junta, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said Tuesday. </PARAGRAPH> <PHOTO> <TABLE WIDTH='250' ALIGN='RIGHT' BORDER='0'> <TR> <TD><IMG ALT='News photo' BORDER='0' SRC='../images/photos2007/nn20071003f1a.jpg' WIDTH='250' HEIGHT='346'/></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT SIZE='1'><B>Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura gives an interview Tuesday at his ministry. </B> REIJI YOSHIDA PHOTO</FONT></TD> </TR> <TABLE> </PHOTO> <PARAGRAPH>Japan has traditionally maintained diplomatic contact with Myanmar and provided limited humanitarian assistance, the opposite approach taken by the United States, which has banned all trade and financial transactions with the country.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>'I don't think we can totally abandon the engagement –

," the new foreign minister said in an interview.

At the same time, Komura stressed that the government will decide how it reacts to the Myanmar situation only after Deputy Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka returns from Myanmar and reports to the Cabinet.

In any case, any action taken against Myanmar should help promote democracy, Komura said.

The military government's violent suppression of peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks resulted in the death Thursday of Japanese video journalist Kenji Nagai, who was shot — apparently at close range — by a soldier in the junta's security force.