1. Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Myanmar Development Institute (MDI) building, which was held in Nay Pyi Taw, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, on January 24, bringing together Minister of Planning and Finance Soe Win and Minister of Commerce Than Myint, among others.

° The MDI, Myanmar’s state-run think tank established in February 2017 as a grant-aid project conducted by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), is modeled after the Korea Development Institute (KDI) and a result of cooperation between KOICA and the KDI.

2. In his congratulatory remarks, Vice Minister Lee extended congratulations to the MDI, saying that the MDI establishment project, begun as agreed in 2012 by the leaders of the two countries, had seen smooth progress that led to the groundbreaking ceremony for its own building. He went on to highlight the significance of the project as part of the efforts to implement the ROK government’s New Southern Policy for a sustainable development of Myanmar; and to suggest that the two countries continue working closely together for the successful operation of the MDI.

3. Currently, the MDI is establishing and implementing the Myanmarese government’s main policies for national development, including “the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP),” and “the Development Assistance Policy (DAP).” The think tank, when its own building has been built, is expected to become Myanmar’s flagship state-run think tank. Accordingly, the MDI establishment project is expected to become the signature project conducted under the New Southern Policy designed for co-prosperity.

4. During his visit to Myanmar for the groundbreaking ceremony, Vice Minister Lee met with senior government officials of Myanmar, including Minister of International Cooperation Kyaw Tin and Minister of Planning and Finance Soe Win to discuss the way forward for the ROK-Myanmar ties. Later in the day, the Vice Minister held a meeting in Yangon with local Korean residents and entrepreneurs, during which he learned about their challenges and pledged to make efforts to resolve them.

* unofficial translation