European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met with Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon today. Addressing a news conference in Rangoon, Ashton urged Myanmar government to continue its progress toward democracy. She is set to open a new EU office in Rangoon to oversee the management of aid programs and to handle political matters. 

Ashton said, this move would be the first step toward establishing a full diplomatic delegation. Her visit comes just days after the EU suspended a wide range of trade, economic and individual sanctions against the long-isolated country. On Monday, Ashton will meet with President Thein Sein and other officials in the administrative capital, Naypyidaw.