On June 5 and 6, CLDP Chief Counsel Steve Gardner joined the Burma segment of Secretary Pritzker’s visit to Southeast Asia, aimed at enhancing economic ties between commercial interests in the United States and the Philippines, Vietnam and Burma. The visit to Burma was the first by a high-level political official since President Obama’s trip in 2012. 

The Secretary met with President Thein Sein, opposition leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi, and other high-level political officials and civil society leaders to discuss bilateral relations and the Department of Commerce’s involvement in Burma’s economic reform. At the meetings, the Secretary emphasized CLDP’s importance to the Department’s recent and future work in Burma. Mr. Gardner joined the Secretary’s meetings to discuss CLDP’s work and listen to relevant stakeholders. At the US-ASEAN Business Council luncheon, Mr. Gardner discussed the benefits of CLDP’s programming in creating a more stable commercial legal and regulatory framework and the impact of CLDP’s past oil and gas programming. Mr. Gardner also met with USAID and the US Embassy in Yangon to coordinate the implementation of CLDP’s upcoming programs and discuss current and future programming in oil and gas, arbitration, and public procurement.