“We stated clearly that the United States is prepared to take steps to improve the relationship, but that the process must be based on reciprocal and concrete efforts by the Burmese government.”

Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs and former assistant director and research fellow at the Belfer Center, was quoted in “U.S. Diplomat Meets Myanmar’s Top Dissident and Urges Junta to Work With Her,” which the New York Times published on November 5, 2009.

For the full article, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/world/asia/05myanmar.html?_r=1&ref=asia

“The conclusions of our policy review, announced last month, reaffirmed our fundamental interests in Burma: we support a unified, peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Burma. While our goals in Burma remain the same as before, the policy review confirmed that we need additional tools to augment those that we have been using in pursuit of our objectives. A policy of pragmatic engagement with the Burmese authorities holds the best hope for advancing our goals. A central element of this approach is a direct, senior-level dialogue with representatives of the Burmese leadership. We hope a dialogue with the Burmese regime will lay out a path forward towards change in Burma and a better, more productive bilateral relationship.”

Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs and former Belfer Center assistant director and research fellow, testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on October 21, 2009.

For his full testimony, go to: http://www.internationalrelations.house.gov/111/cam102109.pdf