Though tactics may differ, the United States shares the same vision for Burma as does Singapore and the ASEAN community, according to an American official.

 "It is possible for partners to work perhaps with different tactics while agreeing on the same strategic objective," Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns said at a press conference yesterday in Singapore following a day of meetings with Singaporean officials.

In talks with Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, Burns expressed the United States' support for both ASEAN and the United Nations roles in trying to kick start a dialogue process between the Burmese junta and opposition forces led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Despite the last minute cancellation of United Nations Special Envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari's scheduled briefing to ASEAN leaders in Singapore last month, Burns said that the United States has "great respect for the way that Singapore acted as ASEAN Chair and in hosting the meeting."

Defining talks on U.S.-ASEAN relations as "extensive," Burns said, with respect to what needs to happen in Burma, that "there is a great deal of common ground between the United States and ASEAN, particularly Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia."

The Under Secretary did say he wished Burmese representatives would have come to November's ASEAN summit in Singapore with a more open mind, proceeding to tell reporters that the current status of Burma is an "embarrassment" for the region.