Preparations are in full swing in Myanmar for the Fourth World Buddhist Summit scheduled for December 9 in Yangon, local press reported on Monday.

About 150 representatives from Buddhist organizations in 30 countries are expected to attend the three-day event to be hosted by Myanmar for the first time, the Ministry of Religious Affairs was quoted by the Myanmar Time as saying.

Along with more than 300 Myanmar monks, about 2,000 observers are also expected for the religious meeting, it said.

The summit, sponsored by the Myanmar ministry and the Nenbutsushu Buddhist Sect of Japan ,is aimed at promoting friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation among the Buddhist countries, maintaining Buddhist teachings and practices among such countries, enhancing Buddhist education and helping and creating a peaceful world.

The world Buddhist summit was first held in Japan in 1998, the second in Thailand in 2000 and the third in Cambodia in 2002.

Buddhism stands one of four main historical religions of the world with over 360 million followers. Myanmar is a country with a majority of its population (about 80 percent) believing in Buddhism. It is estimated that there are more than 400,000 monks and nuns in Myanmar.

For nearly 1,000 years, the country has kept Theravada (Little vehicle) Buddhism pure and intact. It established Buddhist scripture learning centers and other monastic education schools long ago.

Aimed at promoting the genuine Theravada Buddhism throughout the world and the study and comprehension of the canonical texts of Buddhism, Myanmar opened an International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University in Yangon in December 1998, the country's first permanent center of higher learning of the Buddhism in various languages.

(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2004)