On Friday 8 December, Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis met with Ken Matsuzawa, President of the International Friendship Exchange Council in Tokyo, as well as with managers of leading Japanese companies who are interested in opportunities for business development in Latvia.
Addressing the audience, M. Kučinskis pointed out that a new step has been taken to activate both political and economic cooperation between the two countries. Latvia is not large enough to focus solely on the internal market - our country is a rapidly growing open market economy, ready to take major steps towards promoting transnational cooperation.
The two parties agreed that this is the right time to intensify economic cooperation between Latvia and Japan, taking account of the good potential for business development.
The Japanese entrepreneurs expressed their interest in cooperation opportunities with Latvia, mainly in the fields of transport and logistics, as well as tourism. Similarly, the representatives of Japanese companies were interested in energy policy of Latvia, cooperation in the field of medicine and pharmacy.
In the field of transport and logistics, Latvia has positioned itself as a centre of Northern Europe with three ice-free ports, a highly developed railway infrastructure, as well as the largest airline company in the Baltic States.
The talks highlighted the need to accelerate the conclusion of the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement. The meeting was also attended by a delegation of Latvian entrepreneurs.
M.Kučinskis is paying a visit to Tokyo from 5 - 9 December. Within the framework of the visit, he meets with the Prime Minister and ministers of the government of Japan, as well as members of the Latvian-Japanese parliamentary cooperation group. The Prime Minister will also participate in the forums dedicated to the development of economic cooperation between the two countries held at the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Financial Technology Centre of Tokyo (FINOLAB). The Prime Minister will meet with several Japanese business associations and representatives of leading companies (including All Nippon Airways (ANA), Mitsui & Co.
Andrejs Vaivars
Press Secretary to the Prime Minister
Phone: 29228678
E-mail: Andrejs.Vaivars@mk.gov.lv