U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in the midst of a landmark trip to Burma, the most high-level U.S. official to visit there in 50 years. Earlier today, Clinton began talks with the Burmese junta. Clinton said the Obama administration will not lift sanctions immediately but would be prepared to do so in the future if democratic reform is enacted.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “We’re not at the point yet that we can consider lifting sanctions that we have in place because of our ongoing concerns about policies that have to be reversed. But any steps that the government takes will be carefully considered and will be, as I said, matched, because we want to see political and economic reform take hold, and I told the leadership that we will certainly consider the easing and elimination of sanctions as we go forward in this process together.”