US ex-diplomat says Myanmar junta 'open' for progress

Former US Ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson (left) sitting next to Aye Moe and Richardson Centre Vice-President and Executive Director Mickey Bergman in Yangon. Richardson secured the release from prison of Aye Moe, who used to work for the Centre’s training and programmes in Myanmar focused on women’s empowerment. - AP

WASHINGTON (AFP): Bill Richardson, the former US diplomat turned global troubleshooter, said that he believed Myanmar's junta was open to working with the world on humanitarian relief and possibly more after a rare visit that drew scrutiny.

Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations and governor of New Mexico, appeared last week in a photo meeting military leader Min Aung Hlaing, who had just been snubbed at a summit of the Asean regional bloc.