.png)
Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi (C) receives the insignia of commander in the National Order of the Legion d'Honneur, one of France's highest honors in recognition of her long struggle for democracy, from French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe (L) and French Ambassador Thierry Mathou (R) during a ceremony at the French Embassy in Yangon on Jan. 15. (Soe Than Win/AFP/Getty Images)
In an unprecedented visit by France’s foreign minister to Burma this week, Alain Juppe promised that France and the European Union would reward Burma for its recent reforms.
“Like the rest of the international community, we have observed with a lot of attention the positive signs given by President Thein Sein,” said French Foreign Minister Juppe on Sunday according to AFP.
For this, France and the EU will respond “positively and in concrete terms to these significant gestures,” he said.
Also on Sunday, Norway announced that Norwegian companies can now consider investing in Burma (also known as Myanmar), whereas previously companies were strictly advised not to do trade with Burma. The Norwegian foreign ministry noted in a statement that this policy was an exclusively domestic one and in changing it, “Norway continues to align itself with the EU” and its policy on sanctions.
The encouragement for Burma came just on Friday when the government announced the release of another 651 prisoners in a string of amnesties since taking office. The move, seen by many as a significant step forward, comes two weeks after the formerly banned NLD was given the go-ahead to run in by-elections in April, and only a day after a ceasefire agreement was signed with the Karen armed ethnic group.
U.S. President Barack Obama called the release “a substantial move forward” and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that Washington will start the process of exchanging ambassadors with Burma for the first time in 21 years.
The European Union, United States, and Canada, among others, have had economic sanctions on Burma largely since 1990, when the military junta rejected the election victory of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy.
In November 2010, the first elections since 1990 were held resulting in the transfer of power from the military junta to a military-backed civilian government.
