The nominee to be US pointman on Burma said Wednesday he would seek greater global coordination to push for democracy and voiced concern that the ASEAN bloc was considering the regime as its head.

Derek Mitchell, a veteran policymaker on Asia, was nominated to be the first US coordinator for policy on Burma as President Barack Obama’s administration pursues an engagement drive with the country.

In his Senate confirmation hearing, Mitchell said he would seek “direct and candid” dialogue with Burma’s leaders and that the United States should “respond flexibly and with agility to opportunities as they arise.”

“The United States still seeks a peaceful, prosperous, open and democratic Burma that respects the rights of all its citizens and that adheres to its international obligations,” said Mitchell, now a senior Pentagon official.

“The United States remains prepared to establish a positive relationship based on mutual respect and mutual benefit with a Burmese leadership that adheres to and advances these principles,” he said.

Mitchell was testifying just as the regime stepped pressure on pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, warning her not to embark on her first national tour since she was released from house arrest in November.

The State Department responded with concern, with deputy spokesman Mark Toner urging authorities to ensure the Nobel Peace Prize winner is “free to travel, free to express her views and to fully participate in political activities.”

Mitchell said he hoped to coordinate policy with key players including the European Union, China, India, Japan, South Korea and especially ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Burma is one of 10 members.

“To date, in my view, the inability of key members of the Burma-interested community around the world to coordinate their approach to Burma has only undermined the effective realisation of shared objectives,” Mitchell said.

In the clearest comment yet from a senior US official, Mitchell expressed concerns that ASEAN was considering Burma to chair the economically dynamic bloc in 2014.

“I think, frankly, where Burma is today, ASEAN recognises that Burma is an outlier and is somewhat of an embarrassment to the organisation,” Mitchell said in response to a question.

“I think Burma has some work to do in order to make ASEAN nations comfortable with that — and the rest of the international community,” Mitchell said.

US officials have previously declined to state opposition publicly, saying 2014 was a long way off and that ASEAN’s chairmanship was a decision for the bloc itself which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

The Obama administration in 2009 launched talks with Burma, concluding that the previous Western policy of isolating the state had been unsuccessful. The European Union and Japan have also stepped up diplomacy, with a senior Japanese official on Wednesday meeting with Suu Kyi.

China traditionally has been Burma’s main source of support, while India — in one of its main foreign policy divergences with the United States — has also developed stronger relations with the military-backed government.

ASEAN has long struggled with how to deal with Myanmar. ASEAN nations called for a lifting of Western sanctions after Burma held elections last year.

The United States and opposition groups have rejected a letup in pressure, saying that the political transition has been purely cosmetic.

But Senator Jim Webb, a longtime advocate of engaging Burma who chaired the hearing, called for the United States to consider easing sanctions, saying there was a window of opportunity.

Webb pointed to the regime’s release of Suu Kyi and the participation of other opposition parties in the election, saying: “I believe these changes yield promise for improving accountability and transparency in Burma.”

However, many US lawmakers strongly support sanctions on Burma, in part due to concerns for Suu Kyi’s safety.