U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has welcomed Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi to Washington at the start of the opposition leader's first U.S. visit since her 2010 release from house arrest.

In brief comments to reporters at the start of their meeting on Tuesday, Clinton said there was a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm over Aung San Suu Kyi's trip.

The opposition leader arrived in the U.S. on Monday for a 17-day visit. She is expected to comment on Burma's democratic transition and challenges faced by the country.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner is scheduled to make an appearance at the Voice of America later Tuesday.

Part of her trip coincides with next week's visit by Burmese President Thein Sein, who will address the United Nations General Assembly.

U.S. President Barack Obama is considering relaxing some of the tough sanctions imposed on Burma because of the former government's poor human rights record. Conditions in the country have improved since a nominally civilian government came to power last year.

The new government has released hundreds of political prisoners, including at least 60 who were among about 500 prisoners pardoned on Monday.

On Wednesday, lawmakers will present Aung San Suu Kyi with the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Other stops on her visit include the states of California, New York and Indiana. Fort Wayne, Indiana is home to one of the country's largest Burmese-American communities.

Aung San Suu Kyi spent nearly 20 years under house arrest. She is now a member of the Burmese parliament.

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi begins her 17-day visit to the United States in earnest Tuesday with events in Washington, including talks with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who traveled to Washington Monday, is also scheduled to deliver remarks as part of a discussion about Burma's democratic transition and challenges facing the country's future.

On Wednesday, lawmakers will present her with the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor.

While in Washington, the Nobel Peace Prize winner will make an appearance at the Voice of America.

Other stops on her visit include the states of California, New York and Indiana. Fort Wayne, Indiana is home to one of the country's largest Burmese-American communities.

Aung San Suu Kyi's visit coincides with next week's visit by Burmese President Thein Sein, who will address the United Nations General Assembly.

President Obama is considering relaxing some of the tough sanctions imposed on Burma because of the former military government's poor human rights record.

Conditions have improved since the nominally civilian government came to power last year, including freedom for hundreds of political prisoners. Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent nearly 20 years under house arrest, is now a member of the Burmese parliament.

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has begun a two-week visit to the United States, where she is to receive Congress' highest honor.

Aung San Suu Kyi traveled Monday to Washington, the city where she will spend the first four days of her trip. There she will receive the Congressional Gold Medal and also is expected to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

While in Washington, the Nobel Peace Prize winner will make an appearance at the Voice of America.

Other stops on her visit include the states of California, New York and Indiana. Fort Wayne, Indiana is home to one of the country's largest Burmese-American communities.

Aung San Suu Kyi's visit coincides with next week's visit by Burmese President Thein Sein, who will address the United Nations General Assembly.

President Obama is considering relaxing some of the tough sanctions imposed on Burma because of the former military government's poor human rights record.

Conditions have improved since the nominally civilian government came to power last year, including freedom for hundreds of political prisoners. Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent nearly 20 years under house arrest, is now a member of the Burmese parliament.

Nobel Prize-winning Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi Monday begins a two-week tour of the United States, where she is to receive Congress' highest honor.

Aung San Suu Kyi will spend the first four days of her visit in Washington — meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and receiving the Congressional Gold Medal.

She also is expected to meet with President Barack Obama and make appearances at the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia.

Other stops on her visit include the states of California, Kentucky and Indiana, where the city of Fort Wayne is home to one of the country's largest Burmese-American communities.

Her visit coincides with next week's visit by Burmese President Thein Sein, who will address the United Nations General Assembly.

President Obama is considering relaxing some of the tough sanctions imposed on Burma because of the former military government's poor human rights record.

Conditions have improved since a civilian government came to power last year, including freedom for hundreds of political prisoners. Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent nearly 20 years under house arrest, is now a member of the Burmese parliament.

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has used her first speech in parliament to call for laws protecting the rights of the nation's ethnic minorities.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner spoke Wednesday, urging equal rights for all ethnic groups as part of Burma's transition to democracy.

Aung San Suu Kyi's presence in parliament marks a new phase in her long struggle to bring democracy to her homeland, after she spent nearly 15 years in detention under the nation's military rule.

Her party, the National League for Democracy, is now a mainstream political party, following Burma's landmark April elections and other sweeping changes by the new, nominally civilian government.

A U.S.-based advocacy group has announced that Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will visit the United States in September to accept an award for global citizenship.

The New York-based Atlantic Council issued a statement Monday saying Aung San Suu Kyi is one of four people to be honored September 21 with its Global Citizen Award. The other recipients are former U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata of Japan, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and American composer Quincy Jones.

Atlantic Council Chairman and former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel said the Global Citizen Award recognizes “special individuals” who have helped define global citizenship.

Aung San Suu Kyi recently completed a tour of Europe that included a stop in Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded in 1991, but was unable to claim because she was under house arrest in Burma.

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made her historic debut in parliament.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner took her seat in Burma's lower house of parliament for the first time Monday in the administrative capital, Naypyidaw. Aung San Suu Kyi's presence marks a new phase in her long struggle to bring democracy to her homeland.

She joined fellow members of the National League for Democracy party in parliament, along with other legislators. Parliament is still dominated by the military and its political allies.

NLD, once dissident outsiders, is now a mainstream political party, following Burma's landmark April elections and other sweeping changes by the new government.

French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday assured visiting Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi that France will do everything possible to support Burma's democratic transition.

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“We support all the efforts that could be taken for the success of this transition. And France must be at the service of democracy. Everything that can be done to support or to at times put pressure, will be done. The president of Myanmar [i.e., Burma] was presented by Madam Aung San Suu Kyi as a sincere man in the [democratic] movement that he committed to. If he wants to achieve it, he will.''

Burma's democratic leader arrived in Paris Tuesday on the final leg of her European tour. At a joint press conference with Mr. Hollande, Aung San Suu Kyi said her country needs investment to revive its economy, but she said growth should not come at the expense of democratic reforms.

“We need the kind of help that will empower the people, empower the people by developing their skills as well as by creating opportunities for them. We say that Burma has come to the beginning of a new road. But this new road has to be walked by new players as well. If the same old people are going to take this new road, then we can say that this process of reform in Burma is not going the way that it should. We want Burma to be a more inclusive society, where power is shared between all stake holders — that is to say, all those who are interested in bringing about political, social and economic reform in Burma.”

The 67-year-old Nobel laureate told reporters that it is important to make Burma's military understand that democracy is for the good of everyone in the country, not only one segment of society.

Aung San Suu Kyi expressed confidence that Burma's President Thein Sein is sincere about supporting the country's democratic transition, but she said she could not speak for everyone in the Burmese government.

While in France, Aung San Suu Kyi also met with the heads of the National Assembly and the Senate, France's foreign minister, and the mayor of Paris.

Her two-week tour of Europe has also included stops in Britain, Switzerland, Ireland and Norway.

In Norway, she received the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize that was denied her while under house arrest in Burma.

During her stop in Britain, Aung San Suu Kyi addressed Parliament and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford University, where she studied and lived with her family for years before returning to Burma in 1988.

A civilian government came to power in Burma last year, after the country's 2010 elections — Burma's first in 20 years. Aung San Suu Kyi was released from a house arrest shortly after the vote. She spent almost 15 years in some form of detention under the military government, which refused to step down when her party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide election victory in 1991.

The opposition leader and Burma's democracy icon, was elected to parliament this year.

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Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has asked France to support her country's fragile democratic movement.

During a visit to Paris Tuesday, she told reporters that it is very important to make the country's powerful military understand that democracy is for the good of everyone in Burma, not only one segment of society.

The 67-year-old Nobel prize laureate met with France's President Francois Hollande on arrival in the French capital. She arrived by train from London Tuesday afternoon.

At a joint press conference, she expressed confidence that Burma's President Thein Sein is sincere about supporting the democratic transition there, but said she could not say the same of Burmese military leaders.

Mr. Hollande gave assurances that France will support democratic developments in Burma and will do all he can to get full support for Burma from the European Union.

While in France, Aung San Suu Kyi will also meet with the heads of the National Assembly and the Senate, the foreign minister, and the mayor of Paris.

Her historic tour of Europe has also included stops in Britain, Switzerland, Ireland and Norway.

In Norway, she received the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize that was denied her while under house arrest in Burma.

During her stop in Britain, Aung San Suu Kyi addressed Parliament in London and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford University, where she studied and lived with her family for years before returning to Burma in 1988.

A civilian government came to power in Burma last year, after the November 2010 election, Burma's first in 20 years. Aung San Suu Kyi was released from a house arrest shortly after the election. She spent almost 15 years in some form of detention under the military government, which refused to step down when her party, the National league for democracy, won a landslide victory in the 1991 election.

The opposition leader and Burma's democracy icon, won a parliament seat this year in April 1 parliamentary elections.

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