Canada will open an embassy in Myanmar to establish formal diplomatic ties with the country, following the footsteps of the US, the Financial Times reports.
The move comes after Canada suspended trade and diplomatic sanctions that had been placed on the country, in recognition of democratic reforms. John Baird, Canada’s foreign minister, told the FT that Canada will continue to press for more reforms, saying “Although the Burmese government has taken positive steps to improve human rights and democracy over the past year, we continue to urge more progress on reform.”
Mr. Baird did not give details on the embassy’s opening. The first US ambassador to Myanmar after decades of severed ties formally presented his credentials on Tuesday.
Ottawa also hopes Canadian companies will have a share on Myanmar’s rich natural resources alongside US companies who went ahead with ‘significant’ investments after Obama cleared the way.
