Brussels – The European Union hinted Friday it may lift sanctions on Myanmar after its main opposition party decided it would end a boycott on parliamentary elections by registering for a by-election early next year.‘I am delighted at the announcement by the National League for Democracy (NLD),’ EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement. ‘This is a courageous and welcome decision.’

‘The EU has always stated that it will respond to positive events in the country. The restrictive measures have already been partly modified this year. A more substantial review of EU policy is already underway,’ Ashton added.

The NLD is led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released from house arrest on November 13. In a further gesture towards the opposition, authorities this year also released hundreds of dissidents from prison.