Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said Thursday that Myanmar’s junta leader Than Shwe seemed “fine”, despite rumours that he had been deposed or was in ill health.

“I am not a doctor but during the one hour and twenty minutes’ discussion, he looked fine in my opinion,” Kantathi said in a media teleconference from the Myanmar capital Yangon where he is on a one-day visit.

Kantathi was the first foreign visitor to meet with 73-year-old Than Shwe since various rumours emerged last week that he had been toppled in a coup, and had been taken to Singapore for medical treatment.

The rumours were discounted by diplomats and political observers in Yangon, and then denied on Sunday by Information Minister Kyaw Hsan, who said Than Shwe remained fit and in charge of the country.

During his first visit to Myanmar since being appointed in March, Kantathi also met with the regime’s number-two General Maung Aye, Prime Minister Soe Win and Foreign Minister Nyan Win.

He said he discussed Myanmar’s national reconciliation process, but that the issue of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest, was not raised.

“Myanmar has confirmed that next year will be a very important year for the process,” Kantathi said, adding that Nyan Win told him that an ongoing national convention to draft a new constitution will resume in November or December.

The national convention has been criticised internationally as a sham because the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) is not taking part.

It declared a boycott in protest over the house arrest measures against Aung San Suu Kyi who was taken into detention in May 2003.

The constitutional talks, touted as the first step on the junta’s “road map” to democracy, were suspended in March.

Kantathi said that Thailand and Myanmar also discussed improving cooperation in development and energy issues.

And the two countries agreed to resume meetings of the joint boundary committee within two months, after a one-year suspension. The committee discusses a range of matters, including trade and displaced people.

Thailand also said it would support the construction of a second bridge link with Myanmar and crop substitution programs to help Myanmar farmers find alternatives to poppy cultivation, Kantathi said.