Addressing journalists after his meeting with Thein Sein, Obama said he understood that the country was taking “just the first steps on what will be a very long journey”.

“But we think a process of democratic and economic reform here in Myanmar that has been begun by the president is one that can lead to incredible development opportunities,” he added.

Obama’s visit to Myanmar is meant to praise the country for its progress toward democracy and to encourage it to move further.

Long critisized because of a repressive military rule, a transition to democracy began last year after a nominally civilian government took office and began taking steps toward democracy.

But some international human rights group object to the Myanmar visit, saying Obama is rewarding the country’s government while they still have a long way to go regarding human rights issues.

“While genuine progress in Myanmar should be encouraged, Obama should be careful not to overstate the changes that have occurred,” Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch said.

“The still-suffering people will be better served by a US president who is committed to seeing long-term reform in their country than one who expresses overeager praise.”

Speaking in Thailand on the the night before his landmark visit to the former pariah state, Obama denied he was going there to offer his “endorsement”.

Instead, he said his intention was to acknowledge that Myanmar, also known as Burma, had opened the door to democratic change but there was still a long way to go.

But the country has also witnessed turmoil in recent months where violence between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims had led to more than 100,000 displaced people, according to Human Rights Watch.

The UN has called the Rohingya _ who are widely reviled by the Buddhist majority in Myanmar among the world’s most persecuted people.

The White House says Obama will express his concern for the ongoing ethnic tensions in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state with Sein, along with demands to free remaining political prisoners.

Obama will close with a speech at the University of Yangon, praising the country’s progress toward democracy but urge further reforms.

The U.S., Britain, Canada and a few more countries still officially refer it to Myanmar as Burma. But as the relations with the government of President Thein Sein has changed making them less dogmatic about using the old name.