US to lift sanctions on Myanmar

Washington, September 15

Encouraged by Myanmar’s progress towards democracy and installation of a civilian government, US President Barack Obama today decided to terminate national emergency imposed on the country and said he will “soon” lift the sanctions against it.

The announcement from Obama came after his meeting with his fellow Nobel laureate and Myanmar Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi at the Oval Office of the White House.

“In part because of the progress that we’ve seen over the last several months, I indicated, after consulting with Daw Suu, that the US is now prepared to lift sanctions that we have imposed on Myanmar for quite some time. It is the right thing to do in order to ensure that the people of Myanmar see rewards from a new way of doing business and a new government,” Obama said.

Recognising the progress toward democratic transition that Myanmar has achieved, including through the election of a civilian-led government, the US will terminate the National Emergency with respect to Myanmar and will revoke the Executive Order-based framework of the Myanmar sanctions programme, said a joint statement issued after the meeting.

The State Department said announcement during the historic visit of Suu Kyi is a testament to the tremendous change Myanmar has undergone in the past few years.

Myanmar now has democratically-elected leadership for the first time in over half a century, it said. — PTI