First day of official visit to Japan, Minister Gordan Jandroković met with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada

The ministers expressed satisfaction with the visit, which is offering an opportunity for the exchange of the two countries’ views on various bilateral relation topics, as well as on the current issues of importance for the international community

The ministers expressed satisfaction with the visit, which is offering an opportunity for the exchange of the two countries’ views on various bilateral relation topics, as well as on the current issues of importance for the international community.

The ministers agreed that this visit would prompt further development of the already very good and friendly relations between Croatia and Japan. They also agreed that the two countries’ relations in the past 18 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations had been progressing steadily, and that today there is well-developed cooperation in numerous fields, but with room for further development as well.

They pointed out that the regular political dialogue between the two ministries of foreign affairs also contributed to the development of tighter relations between Croatia and Japan, as well as to a more quality mutual understanding. Both sides expressed a wish for intensifying high-level visits, with Minister Jandroković inviting Minister Okada on a return visit to Croatia.

Minister Jandroković said he expected the economic cooperation to grow stronger, expressing hope that his two presentations of Croatia’s economic potential during his stay in Japan would bring the Croatian market closer to the Japanese investors. He presented potentially interesting infrastructural projects in Croatia, as well as the possibilities and advantages of using the Adriatic ports. The figures on the growing number of Japanese tourist visits to Croatia the ministers described as a good basis for the further development of the two countries’ tourist ties. In that regard, they agreed on signing agreements on air traffic and tourist cooperation.

The ministers also discussed the scientific and cultural cooperation between the two countries’ cities and regions. Minister Jandroković expressed special gratitude for the long-standing assistance Japan had been offering Croatia through development and mine-action programs.

The ministers also talked about Croatia and Japan’s multilateral cooperation, especially within the UN, where the two countries had closely cooperated during the 2009 non-permanent Security Council membership. They also exchanged experiences with participation in ISAF.

The collocutors communicated the two countries’ views on the international relation issues as well, such as the non-proliferation of WMDs, climatic changes, sustainable development, and the UN Security Council reform.

Minister Jandroković informed his counterpart about the actualities of Croatia’s EU talks and the political situation in Europe’s southeast.

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