Clinton to travel with Obama to Burma

By Julian Pecquet - 11/09/12 11:42 AM ET

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will accompany President Obama on his historic upcoming visit to Burma, the State Department announced Friday.

The trip represents the first time a sitting U.S. president has visited Burma.

Clinton leaves Sunday for Australia, where she will join Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta for talks with the country's civilian and military leadership about security cooperation. The Pentagon is expected to send 2,500 Marines to a new outpost in the port city of Darwin as part of its new Pacific strategy.

Clinton next meets with Singapore's leaders next Friday and Saturday, before traveling on Nov. 17 to Bangkok, where she will join Obama and his delegation for a meeting with the Thai prime minister.

She will then travel to Burma with Obama for meetings with President Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Nov. 19.

The historic visit caps a rapid thawing of relations between the United States and Burma, also known as Myanmar, over the past year as the long-reclusive country has adopted democratic reforms, including legislative elections earlier this year. Clinton became the first U.S. secretary of State to visit the country in more than 50 years when she flew to Burma last November and met with the new civilian government and opposition leaders.

Clinton and Obama then head to Phnom Penh for a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Nov. 19 and 20. This will also be the first time a sitting U.S. president visits Cambodia.

Here is Clinton's full itinerary:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Perth and Adelaide, Australia; Singapore; Bangkok, Thailand; Rangoon, Burma; and Phnom Penh, Cambodia November 11-20, 2012.
On November 11, Secretary Clinton will travel to Perth, Australia to join U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, and Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith for the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) to discuss security cooperation and other regional and global issues. In Perth, Secretary Clinton will meet with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Bob Carr. She will also visit the new Western Australia – United States & Asia Centre (USAC). She will then travel to Adelaide where she will meet with Australian business leaders as well as visit Techport Australia, Australia’s largest and most advanced shipbuilding facility.
Secretary Clinton will travel to Singapore on November 16-17 to meet with senior government officials, including Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, on a wide range of issues.
On November 17, Secretary Clinton will travel to Bangkok, Thailand. She will join President Obama and his delegation on November 18 for meetings with Prime Minister Yingluck and other senior Thai officials to underscore our strong alliance and discuss shared priorities and regional issues in advance of the ASEAN East Asia Summit.
Secretary Clinton will accompany President Obama to Burma on November 19, and join his meetings with Burmese President Thein Sein and Chair of the National League for Democracy and Member of Parliament Aung San Suu Kyi.
Secretary Clinton will also accompany President Obama on his travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia November 19-20 to attend the U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting and the East Asia Summit.