Myanmar hires US lobbyists ahead of elections

Myanmar hires US lobbyists ahead of elections
Capitol Hill, Washington DC, United States. Photo: Glynn Lowe

The government of Myanmar has hired lobbyists in Washington for the first time in more than a decade, signing a contract worth US$840,000 (K840 million) with the Podesta Group, reports The Hill, which covers US politics, on April 16.
The contract comes ahead of crucial elections in the country later this year that could go a long way toward determining whether the country’s rapprochement with the United States continues.
The contract between Podesta Group and the Myanmar government, which has been signed by representatives at the embassy, will last 12 months. Each quarter, the country will pay the firm $210,000 — a relatively minor sum compared to other FARA deals.
Documents say that the lobby firm "will provide strategic counsel to the principal on strengthening the principal's ties to the United States government and institutions."