EU suspends Myanmar sanctions after reforms

LUXEMBOURG (AP) -- The European Union has suspended its sanctions against Myanmar, but will retain an embargo on arms sales....

European Union nations are set to reward Myanmar for its "remarkable" reforms by suspending most sanctions Monday, a move opening the way to a potential trade and investment bonanza for Europe.EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg are set to approve a one-year suspension of sanctions against almost 500 individuals and more than 800 firms, but keep an arms embargo in place.

YANGON (Reuters) - European firms seeking to invest in Myanmar are unlikely to rush into business deals until more concrete reforms are put in place, despite a suspension of economic sanctions by the EU, its foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Saturday. The European Union and other powers have moved in recent weeks to ease sanctions on Myanmar, as the once pariah nation embarks on landmark reforms and seeks engagement with the world. ...

EU countries have agreed in principle to suspend all sanctions against Myanmar, with the exception of an arms embargo, for a 12-month period, European Union diplomats said Thursday.The 12-month extension "gives us time to assess the sustainability of reform", said a diplomat close to the talks.A formal announcement, which would include the possibility of reviewing the decision in six months, is expected at a meeting of European Union foreign ministers on Monday in Luxembourg.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- The United States is unwinding two decades of sanctions against Myanmar, as the country's reformist leadership oversees rapid-fire economic and political change. President Barack Obama's visit this week, the first by a serving U.S. president, is a sign of how far relations have come. But Washington continues to take a calibrated approach to easing sanctions, keen to retain leverage should Myanmar's reform momentum stall....

The United States is unwinding two decades of sanctions against Myanmar, as the country's reformist leadership oversees rapid-fire economic and political change. President Barack Obama's visit this week, the first by a serving U.S. president, is a sign of how far relations have come. But Washington continues to take a calibrated approach to easing sanctions, keen to retain leverage should Myanmar's reform momentum stall.

Article written by Prieur du Plessis, editor of the Investment Postcards from Cape Town blog.The paragraphs below come courtesy of Mark Mobius, Chairman of the Templeton Emerging Markets Group.Myanmar, once known as Burma, has democracy standing on its doorstep.