Ban Ki-moon
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon gives a speech at Myanmar's parliament in Naypyitaw Reuters

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon addressed the Myanmar parliament during his three-day visit but the recently elected opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's seat remained empty.

Ban praised both Suu Kyi and President Thein Sein in his parliament address and urged the two parties to work together. Ban said: "The path of change is still fragile and uncertain but it is indeed too narrow to turn back," reported BBC.

Ban said: "Burma can meet the challenge of reconciliation and development but it will take full determination and common leadership and partnership. Elections and open government must be matched with a healthy and vibrant political climate."

Ban becomes the first foreign dignitary to address the Burmese parliament.

Reports confirmed that Suu Kyi would be making her parliament debut on Wednesday. "Politics is an issue of give and take. We are not giving up. We are just yielding to the aspirations of the people," the Associated Press quoted Suu Kyi as saying.

Although Suu Kyi's opposition party welcomes Ban's address, it said the members would not attend.

"I don't know exactly if we will participate in parliament. The standoff may end in one or two weeks," Bloomberg reported the party's spokesperson as saying earlier.

Suu Kyi and her party National League for Democracy (NLD) members wanted to change the oath from "safeguard the constitution" to "respect the constitution".

Ban met President Thein Sein on Monday morning alongside a fleet of other senior government officials and will meet Suu Kyi later during his visit.

Ban is optimistic of the situation and said: "I am hopeful all sides will adopt positions that are flexible. I know this is a sensitive case," about Suu Kyi's denial to enter parliament on Sunday night, reported Bloomberg.

"There's a general push from both sides to treat this issue with wisdom, without making it confrontational. I'm hopeful all sides will adopt flexible and constructive positions," according to Reuters.

Ban said he was looking forward to the meetings with the leaders and felt glad about the recent reforms taking place in Myanmar.

"I am much more optimistic and hopeful about Myanmar. Nobody said this was an easy process. This process is risky and fragile. We can't always be unconditionally optimistic, we have to be mindful of this and have to nurture this process," Reuters quoted Ban as saying.

The UN Chief is also expected to push for more reforms in the country while some of the sanctions are expected to be eased.

"UN activities have been restricted severely so I'm going to normalise UN development activities soon. I'll discuss with member states... to authorise us to engage in full, normal operations," Ban added.

Ban's last trip to Myanmar in 2009 did not go well as he described the country was in a "very difficult situation".

Ban was denied a visit to Suu Kyi as the Nobel Peace Prize winner was under house arrest that time.