During talks held in Berlin today (8 May) with government and opposition MPs from Myanmar, Cornelia Pieper, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, assured them of Germany’s active support for the reform process in their country. She went on to say that the expansion of cultural relations, for which Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle laid the foundation during his recent trip to Myanmar, were of special importance.

In March, Minister of State Pieper and the President of the Goethe-Institut, Professor Lehmann, announced the opening of a new Goethe-Institut in Rangoon. In her talks with the MPs from Myanmar, she reaffirmed her desire to sign a declaration on the new branch during her visit in September. She also called for a new cultural agreement between Germany and Myanmar. Furthermore, she stated that the Federal Foreign Office, in cooperation with the German Academic Exchange Service, is planning a considerable increase in scholarships for students from Myanmar.