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YANGON, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Thein Sein left Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday to begin state visits to New Zealand and Australia, aimed at enhancing bilateral ties and economic cooperation between Myanmar and the two countries.

Invited by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key during his first visit to Nay Pyi Taw in November last year, U Thein Sein is making the first trip also to Auckland.

During his November visit, Key announced an aid package worth 7 million NZ dollars (5.71 million U.S. dollars) to Myanmar after a meeting with Thein Sein.

Over the next five years, New Zealand would invest 6 million NZ dollars in building Myanmar's dairy farming capabilities, to complement the funding already available for scholarships and the English Language Training for Officials program.

New Zealand would also provide 1 million NZ dollars in humanitarian assistance for Rakhine province, where inter-ethnic violence had led to large numbers of people being forced from their homes.

Key reiterated New Zealand's support for Myanmar's reintegration into the wider international community, saying that "Myanmar is going through significant political and economic change to deliver a better future for its people."

Recognizing Myanmar's progress made in a short period under the leadership of U Thein Sein, Key said New Zealand is to open embassy in Myanmar to boost bilateral ties.

Thein Sein outlined the major reforms that have taken place in Myanmar over the past year, and the many challenges his country still faces.

He invited New Zealand entrepreneurs to come and make investment in Myanmar in job-creating sectors such as crop growing, fishing, electric power, livestock breeding, mineral exploration and human resources development.

Opposition leader and parliamentarian Aung San Suu Kyi hoped that ties between the two countries will be stronger on the route to democracy.

Earlier, at the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, Key joined the launch of negotiations for a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a free trade pact with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, which includes Myanmar, New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and India.

As part of the two countries' bilateral cooperation, the New Zealand Trades Enterprise Limited (NZTE) has been providing technical assistance to Myanmar business enterprises since 2010 to help develop some sectors of the country such as milk and dairy products production, construction of modernized milch cow breeding farms, production of vegetable mechanically, regenerating energy from waste, production of raw materials for industries, production of drinking water from rivers, streams and sea waters and generating electricity from these water resources and motor cars production as well as information and technology sector and aircraft manufacturing and pilot training.

As part of his two-nation trip, U Thein Sein's visit to Australia at the invitation of Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Ms. Quentin Bryce comes after the first exchange with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 28 years on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting in Vientiane in November 2012.

In June of the year, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr visited Myanmar after Australia lifted its remaining financial and travel sanctions on Myanmar and doubled its annual aid to 100 million Australian dollars (99 million U.S. dollars) by 2015 in a move to encourage further democratic reform, while keeping arms embargo in place.

Australia provided Myanmar development aid annually and the aid had been extended to 29 million U.S. dollars in 2010 and to 47 million U.S. dollars in 2011.

During Carr's meeting with U Thein Sein, Myanmar and Australia agreed on cooperation in conservation of underground and above- ground natural resources of Myanmar and environment, exchange of science and technology between the two countries, sending of scholars, further cementing of friendly ties and cooperation between the two parliaments, the two governments and the two peoples.

Opposition leader and parliamentarian Aung San Suu Kyi voiced welcome of Australia's decision to ease sanctions against her country after talks with Carr.

Australia has been assisting Myanmar with humanitarian financial aid to carry out effective projects in health, education and agricultural development plans.

In May 2008 when cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, Australia provided 65 million dollars' aid supply for the relief and resettlement programs for cyclone survivors.

The Australian government also provided scholarship to post- graduate Myanmar university students for the academic year 2010-11 to help develop the country's human resources.

In 2009, an Australian college offered 10,000 Australian dollars' scholarships to Myanmar students for their pursuit of further study at the Raffles College of Design and Commerce in Sydney.

In the same year, two universities from Australia -- Central Queensland University and Jame Cook University, along with other 20 international schools, participated in a Myanmar-hosted international education fair in Lashio, Shan state.

Moreover, the Australian Agency for International Development ( AUSAID) provided 750,000 million U.S. dollar aid in 2009 to help Myanmar reduce infection of HIV virus in the countries as part of its 3 million dollar aid to three countries which also include Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

U Thein Sein's re-arranged trips to the two countries follows his five-nation tour to Europe, namely Norway, Finland, Austria, Belgium and Italy from Feb. 25 to March 8.