STOCKHOLM, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Norwegian government expressed on Friday its critical attitude to sanctions against Myanmar, according to reports reaching here from Oslo.

    Sanctions by Western nations against Myanmar have no effects on the Myanmar government, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

    Sanctions ought to be based on UN Security Council decisions in order to secure legitimacy and efficiency, the minister added. However, he does not believe that Norway should drop sanctions on its own.

    The Norwegian government on Monday decided to increase its emergency aid to cyclone-ravished Myanmar to 50 million krone (9.8million U.S. dollars).