Burma's foreign minister has made a rare visit to the U.S. State Department to meet with senior government officials.

A State Department spokesman said Burmese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin met Thursday with the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Kurt Campbell, and the U.S. special envoy to Burma, Derek Mitchell.

He said the meeting follows recent engagement efforts with Burma and said Washington welcomes recent developments in the East Asian country, such as the government's ongoing dialogue with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The spokesman said the United States will encourage progress in Burma, including the release of all political prisoners and an end to violence in ethnic areas.

He said he did not know the last time a foreign minister from Burma visited the State Department.

Earlier this week, Burma's foreign minister met with top U.S. officials on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The State Department described that meeting as productive and open.