President Barack Obama shakes hands with Burma's President Thein Sein at the White House in Washington. May 20, 2013.
As a sign of U.S. support for the Burmese government’s progress towards democratic reform, that nation’s president visited the White House.
As a sign of U.S. support for the Burmese government’s progress towards democratic reform, that nation’s president was welcomed to the White House recently, the first such visit by a Burmese leader in 47 years. U.S. President Barack Obama stated his appreciation for Burmese President Thein Sein’s efforts and reiterated our nation’s support.
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Encouraging Further Democratic Reforms In Burma
Burma’s civilian-led government has taken important
steps toward significant social, political and economic reform. These include legislative by-elections in 2012 that opened the door to Parliament for greater
participation of the democratic opposition; the lifting of censorship and press restrictions; and the freeing of many political prisoners.
In his meeting with the Burmese leader, President Obama noted there is still much work to be done. He raised concerns about the continued communal violence
and significant number of political activists still held in Burmese jails. His remarks were consistent with the United States’ calibrated approach to strengthen and encourage further reform, while holding Burma to its commitments on human rights and democratization.
The United States is also committed to promoting Burma’s economic development so that its people may enjoy greater prosperity.
While President Thein Sein was in Washington, our two nations signed a bilateral trade and investment agreement and reaffirmed shared objectives for Burma to manage its natural resources transparently and for the benefit of its citizens as well as other initiatives to promote transparent and broad-based economic growth.
As the Burmese government continues on this path, the United States remains committed to helping it ensure greater freedoms and a more inclusive and open society.
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