US State Department Counselor Kristie Kenney will travel to Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw July 12–14, to meet with her Myanmar government counterparts, civil society representatives, and YSEALI alumni, according to a US State Department report July 8.
She will also speak with business leaders and TechCamp alumni. Counselor Kenney’s visit underscores the U.S. commitment to Myanmar’s democratic transition, the value of people-to-people exchanges, and the role of US businesses in supporting inclusive, broad-based economic growth, according to a statement from her department.
Her visit will come after a three-day trip to the Philippines July 9–12, to meet with Philippine government officials, civil society, and Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) innovators, entrepreneurs, and “movers” working to advance social-entrepreneurship, technology innovation, and the smart cities movement in the Philippines. Counselor Kenney, a former US Ambassador to the Philippines, is the first high-level U.S. official to meet with Duterte administration representatives since the June 30 inauguration of the new government.