Japanese State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Yutaka Banno is expected in Berlin on 19 January for the German opening festivities of the anniversary marking 150 years of friendship between Germany and Japan.

Werner Hoyer, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, will meet with Banno for talks focusing on disarmament, reform of the UN, climate protection and economic relations between the EU and Japan. Cooperation on projects in Afghanistan is also to be discussed. Werner Hoyer issued the following statement today:

Minister of State Cornelia Pieper will be representing the Federal Foreign Office at the opening of the anniversary year with a Nô theatre performance in the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures). Along with her Japanese counterpart, she opened the Japanese anniversary festivities at a major party at the German School Tokyo/Yokohama on 16 October 2010. Cornelia Pieper issued the following statement:

Background:

The anniversary refers to the signing of the Prussian-Japanese trade and friendship agreement on 24 January 1861. For more information about the anniversary and German-Japanese relations, please go to