Myanmar President U Thein Sein met with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the President's Residence in Nay Pyi Taw Thursday.

Myanmar President U Thein Sein (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Dec. 1, 2011. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday afternoon for her first official visit to Myanmar. [Xinhua]

Clinton told a press conference before leaving Nay Pyi Taw for Yangon that President U Thein Sein briefed her on Myanmar's reform and change and she expressed U.S. welcome over the country's beginning for such change, hoping Myanmar will continue the move further.

Asked about when the United States will deal with the issue of sanctions, she said Myanmar will need to do more in national reconciliation, human rights and release of political prisoners as well as in the aspects of economy.

Clinton arrived in Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday afternoon on a three- day official visit to Myanmar, representing the first trip by a U. S. secretary of state to the country in 50 years since 1955.

Clinton also met Speaker of the House of Representatives U Shwe Mann and Speaker of the House of Nationalities and Union Parliament U Khin Aung Myint as well as Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin.

U Shwe Mann stressed that Myanmar will continue to maintain relations and cooperation with existing friends including China and India, and the parliament will encourage and make sure that there is transparency in the country's foreign relations.

Clinton will head for Yangon in the afternoon and will meet on Friday Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), and a broad and diverse group of civil society and ethnic minority leaders.

Since 1988 when the Myanmar military took over the power of state, relations between the United States and Myanmar had been abnormal with U.S. sanctions long imposed on the country.

After the Obama Administration took office in 2009, the United States adjusted its past policy of constantly imposing sanctions on Myanmar, changing it into a dual-track policy of making engagement, while keeping sanctions.

Clinton is accompanied by Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner and U.S. Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Myanmar Derek Mitchell.

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