Zsolt Németh, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited Myanmar, where he was received on January 10 by the Head of State, Then Sein and by Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin. The State Secretary is the first high ranking Hungarian official to visit the country in 25 years.

State Secretary Németh conducted talks with Aung Min, the Minister responsible for peace negotiations with ethnic groups and also met Deputy Foreign Minister Thant Kyaw in Naypyidaw, the administrative capital of the country. The Hungarian State Secretary met with the President of the Lower Chamber of Parliament Shwe Man and President of the Upper Chamber of Parliament Khin Aung Myint.

The State Secretary also met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is currently a Member of Parliament and the President of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

The visit became possible since Myanmar recently decided to opt for a political opening. President Then Sein, who was elected in the spring of 2011, launched several tangible social and economic reforms. By-elections were held in 2012 with the participation of opposition parties as a result of which NLD candidates were voted into the legislature with an overwhelming majority.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)