UNITED States envoy Mr Kurt Campbell concluded his landmark two-day visit last week by declaring Washington was ready to improve relations with Myanmar if the Myanmar government responds with “reciprocal and concrete efforts”.

Mr Campbell’s November 3-4 visit included meetings with senior government officials in Nay Pyi Taw as well as talks with ethnic leaders and an unpreced-ented two-hour meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Speaking at a press conference before his departure on November 4, Mr Campbell said the “exploratory mission” was designed to explain the results of a recent US policy review.

“We look forward to continuing to work both with the government and other stakeholders toward tangible progress in [Myanmar],” he said.

Mr Campbell, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is the highest-ranking US official to visit since Madeleine Albright in 1995. Ms Albright was the US ambassador to the UN at the time.

In meetings with government officials, including Prime Minister General Thein Sein, Mr Campbell said he “stated clearly that the United States is prepared to take steps to improve the relationship”.

“But that process must be based on reciprocal and concrete efforts by the Myanmar government.”

“We reaffirmed our commitment to a dialogue among the government, the opposition, and the ethnic groups. The goal of such a dialogue would be national reconciliation and a fully inclusive political process in Myanmar,” he said.

“We urge the Myanmar government to allow [Daw] Aung San Suu Kyi more frequent interactions with stakeholders, especially the Central Executive Committee of her own party.”

Earlier on November 4, US envoys held a two hour-long discussion with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at Inya Lake Hotel in Yangon followed by a meeting with officials from the National League for Democracy (NLD) at their Shwegondine headquarters.