YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s president has pledged to consider new rights for the stateless Rohingya minority ahead of a landmark visit by President Barack Obama, but stopped short of a full commitment that citizenship and other new freedoms would be granted.

In a letter sent to the United Nations on Friday, President Thein Sein made conciliatory remarks that condemned the “senseless violence” in western Rakhine state between Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya.