President Obama has hosted the head of the Burmese military junta in a historic visit. Thein Sein is the first Burmese leader to visit the White House in nearly 50 years. His trip follows Obama’s visit to Burma late last year as part of U.S. efforts to ease sanctions in return for political reform. Obama said Monday’s talks yielded progress on the release of Burmese political prisoners and stopping recent anti-Muslim violence.

President Obama: “President Thein shared with me the manner in which he intends to continue to move forward on releasing more political prisoners, making sure that the government of Myanmar institutionalizes some of the political reforms that have already taken place, how rule of law is codified so that it continues into the future, and the process whereby these ethnic conflicts that have existed are resolved, not simply by a ceasefire but an actual incorporation of all these communities into the political process.”