Deputy Minister Klisović in Japan discusses economic cooperation

Deputy Minister Joško Klisović was on a visit to Japan 14-17 April for the regular political consultations between the two ministries of foreign affairs

Deputy Minister Joško Klisović was on a visit to Japan 14-17 April for the regular political consultations between the two ministries of foreign affairs.

The consultations with Director-General for Europe Kozuki and Parliamentary Deputy Foreign Minister Kiuchi confirmed the excellent relations between Croatia and Japan, who are marking this year their 20^th anniversary. “A major driving force behind our relations is the closeness and sympathies between our nations, who in difficult times – such as the Homeland War in Croatia and the 2011 earthquake in Japan – spontaneously show sincere solidarity and readiness to help,” Klisović said. He added that over 150,000 Japanese tourists who annually visit Croatia were opening the door for other forms of cooperation between our countries. The Japanese side familiarized Klisović with the delicate political and security situation in East Asia, while Klisović outlined Croatia’s expectations from the EU accession and informed his hosts about the current state of affairs in Southeast Europe. The officials exchanged opinions on global energy security.

About the two countries’ general cooperation Klisović also talked with Justice Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, who is the president of the Croatia-Japan Parliamentary Friendship League and a strong advocate of comprehensive intensification of Croatia-Japan ties.

The deputy minister then met with representatives of Japanese Ministry of Science and the community of researchers who are cooperating with Croatian institutions on materials science and disaster prevention. Klisović said Croatia wanted to bring science and technology to the forefront of bilateral relations, as Japan is one of the leading countries in those fields. Discussing the possibilities of advancing cooperation, the officials underlined the potential for the exchange of know-how and skills in life sciences, IT and communication technologies, and ecology.

To discuss attracting Japanese investments and test the possibilities of sending Croatian products and services to the Japanese market, Klisović held separate talks with JETRO Vice-President Yoshimura, Deputy Minister of Economy Sasaki and Japanese Employers’ Association Chairman for Europe Yokoyama. Klisović outlined the Croatian government’s efforts to improve the business climate and presented projects in infrastructure, energy and tourism, as well as small and middle-sized entrepreneurship, inviting Japanese companies to apply to tenders. He also informed the Japanese officials about the potential of Croatia’s export to the Japanese market, notably in regard to agricultural and food industry. The officials agreed that Japanese companies’ interest in Croatia would be heightened by Croatia’s upcoming EU entry as well as the signing of the Agreement on Economic Partnership between the EU and Japan.

Klisović also held talks with Shinji Yazaki, the President and CEO Yazaki, a global company with more than 220,000 employees, which has its R&D centre in Zagreb employing 70 odd Croatian engineers. The two officials discussed how Croatia can attract similar investments, offering employment to educated workforce in an important field of industrial research and high technology.

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