WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday hailed democratic reforms in Myanmar as offering "new hope" as he recommitted the United States to a lasting presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
In his annual State of the Union address, which was mostly focused on domestic policy, Obama said that renewed US leadership "can be felt across the globe."
"We've made it clear that America is a Pacific power, and a new beginning in Burma has lit a new hope," Obama said, referring to Myanmar by its former name.
Myanmar, long a pariah in Western eyes, has taken strides toward democracy since a nominally civilian government took over last year including opening talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and reaching a ceasefire with a major ethnic rebel group.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid a landmark visit to Myanmar in December and afterwards moved to restore full diplomatic relations.
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