US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said Washington will send an ambassador to Myanmar for the first time in two decades, restoring full diplomatic relations now that the long-isolated country has released hundreds of political prisoners and made other reforms. Clinton’s announcement that the two countries will exchange ambassadors came on a day of celebration in the streets of Myanmar after President Thein Sein issued pardons and freed 651 detainees, including some of its most famous political inmates. President Barack Obama, in a statement, described the pardons as "a substantial step forward for democratic reform." The US decision follows a landmark visit by Clinton to the repressive country in December as a way to deepen engagement and encourage more openness there, although Washington will be maintaining hard-hitting economic and political sanctions for the time being.