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Myanmar. The appointment of Aung San Suu Kyi to the position of foreign ministry makes her a key member of Myanmar’s powerful Council of Defence and National Security.

Foreign Minister Suu Kyi gains seat at military table

The Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi was appointed foreign minister of the new government in Myanmar. Her party, which won the country’s historic elections in November, announced the appointment on Tuesday. Suu Kyi will also play an active role in other ministries, said Zaw Myint Maung, a spokesman for the National League for Democracy (NLD).

Suu Kyi will be the only woman among the 18 ministers appointed by President-elect Htin Kyaw, all ally of Suu Kyi who was chosen by the parliament earlier this month after more than half a century of military dictatorships. Her position as foreign minister secures Suu Kyi a seat on the Council of Defence and National Security, a super-committee of 11 members, mostly military.

Under the former government of Thein Sein, there were 36 ministries, but that number has been reduced as Myanmar enters a new era of civilian rule. But optimism will undoubtedly collide with reality in a country where the army maintains power and controls large sections of the economy.

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