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笔谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟听Barack Obama聽will visit Myanmar this month and meet both its president and its iconic opposition leader, marking a new milestone in U.S. efforts to promote democratic reforms in the once-isolated Southeast Asian country.

Obama will travel to Myanmar as part of a Nov. 17-20 tour of聽Southeast Asia聽that will include stops in聽Thailand听补苍诲听Cambodia, the聽White House聽said on Thursday as it confirmed details of his first international trip since voters gave him a second term in an election on Tuesday.

The visit to Myanmar, the first by a sitting U.S. president, will give Obama a chance to hold talks with 笔谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟听Thein Sein听补苍诲 Nobel Peace Prize 濒补耻谤别补迟别听Aung San Suu Kyi聽to encourage the country's "ongoing democratic transition,"聽White House聽spokesman聽Jay Carney听蝉补颈诲.

Obama's presence in Myanmar, also known as Burma, will be the strongest endorsement so far from the international community of the country's transformation under the quasi-civilian government of聽Thein Sein, who took office in March 2011 after decades of military rule.

The visit will allow Obama to highlight what many see as a first-term foreign policy accomplishment in helping to push Myanmar's generals onto the path of democratic change. Obama will be in Myanmar on Nov. 19, according to a senior government source in聽Yangon.

He is going ahead with the trip despite recent sectarian violence in聽western Myanmar, which has drawn concern from the聽United States, the聽European Union听补苍诲 U.N. human rights investigators.

Some 89 people were killed in clashes between Buddhist Rakhines and minority Muslim Rohingyas, according to the latest official toll covering the last 10 days of October. Many thousands more have been displaced by the violence.

Sanctions eased聽

The聽United States聽eased sanctions on Myanmar this year in recognition of the political and economic changes under way, and many U.S. companies are looking at starting operations in the country, located between聽China听补苍诲听India, with abundant resources and low-cost labour.

In November 2011,听Hillary Clinton聽became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Myanmar in more than 50 years.

Obama has sought to consolidate ties and reinforce U.S. influence across聽Asia聽in what officials have described as a policy "pivot" toward the region as wars in聽Iraq听补苍诲听Afghanistan聽wind down.

Myanmar grew close to聽China聽during decades of isolation, reinforced by Western sanctions over its poor human rights record, but it is now seeking to expand relations with the West.

Obama met聽Suu Kyi聽during her visit to the聽United States聽in September.聽Thein Sein聽was also in the聽United States聽around the same time to attend the opening of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, but the two leaders did not meet.

Suu Kyi, who spent years in detention under the military as the symbol of the pro-democracy movement and was elected to parliament in April, will be in聽India聽just before Obama's visit to Myanmar.

"She is leaving for聽India聽on a week-long visit on November 12, but I am not sure when exactly she will be back,"聽Nyan Win, an official of her聽National League for Democracy party, told Reuters.

Obama will also be in聽Southeast Asia聽to attend meetings in聽Cambodia聽centered around an annual summit of the 10-country聽Association of Southeast Asian Nations聽(ASEAN), which is usually extended to take in leaders of partner countries.

Preliminary details for this year show the event will run from Nov. 15 to Nov. 20 and the聽Cambodian government聽has said Obama will be in the capital,听Phnom Penh, on Nov. 18. The U.S. administration has not confirmed that date.

The heads of government of聽China,听Japan,听Russia听补苍诲 other countries are also expected in聽Cambodia聽for the meetings.

Obama will also visit聽Thailand聽while he is in聽Asia, the聽White House听蝉补颈诲.