US opens direct talks with Myanmar

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has begun direct talks with Myanmar’s military-installed government, according to US officials and others familiar with the outreach, in ?a sharp reversal of Washington’s efforts to isolate the country’s generals after the 2021 coup. Michael Vance, the US Assistant Secretary of ?State for Intelligence and Research, played a leading role in the outreach, which has focused on shutting down scam centres that target Americans but could lead to broader engagement, including on Myanmar’s rare-earth mineral deposits, according to seven current and former officials and others familiar with the policy shift. Vance joined talks with coup…