US hails Myanmar's engagement with S. Korea

  05-15-2012 08:09 ... 

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- The United States on Monday welcomed deepening cooperation between South Korea and Myanmar as South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is visiting the Southeast Asian nation.

"The United States welcomes Burma’s engagement with the international community, including with regional partners such as the Republic of Korea," the public affairs office the State Department said in a brief reply to Yonhap News Agency's query.

Lee is on a two-day trip to Myanmar, also known as Burma, for summit talks with President Thein Sein and a meeting with a prominent democracy activist, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Lee became the first South Korean leader to visit the country in three decades.

In talks with Sein, Lee promised to expand grants and development loans to Myanmar, according to Lee's office Cheong Wa Dae.

The leaders also agreed to expand cooperation in energy and resources development, and infrastructure construction in Myanmar, .

Lee's visit comes as Myanmar has begun a transition from a military dictatorship to a fledgling democracy, which is seen as one of the tangible diplomatic achievements of the Obama administration.

The U.S. recently eased many of sanctions imposed on the nation for widespread human rights violations.



http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/05/113_110992.html