We greatly value our relationship with Japan, including the active ties between our parliaments, which we want to develop further. As confirmed by high-level visits, cooperation between Latvia and Japan is expanding, emphasised Speaker Mūrniece during a meeting in the Parliament of Japan with Tadamori Oshima, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Chuichi Date, President of the House of Councillors.
"Latvia and Japan are like-minded countries and we share common values – the rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights. This provides a solid foundation for closer cooperation both bilaterally and in international organisations, above all in the UN and the OECD," said I.Mūrniece. Latvia supports closer cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Japan, and between NATO and Japan. The Japanese side appreciated the fact that the Saeima was the first national parliament of the EU member states to ratify the EU – Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement in October 2018.
For Latvia, Japan is an important economic cooperation partner in Asia. Representatives of both countries welcomed growing economic cooperation and expressed confidence that the EU – Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force in February this year, will provide increased opportunities for entrepreneurs of both countries. "We are interested in developing cooperation in areas such as information and communications technology, innovation and tourism, as well as enhancing connectivity by working more actively together in the transport and logistics industries," said Speaker Mūrniece.
Japanese parliamentarians stated that Latvia has made great strides in strengthening the role of women in society, and that in the field of gender equality Latvia could serve as an example for other countries, including Japan.
“There is a growing interest about Japan, its language and culture in Latvia. We appreciate the active work of the Embassy of Japan in Latvia in informing Latvian society about Japanese culture and traditions. We wish to encourage the mobility of students and researchers between both countries and develop closer cooperation between universities in our countries,” said I.Mūrniece.
In Tokyo, the Speaker met with Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Akie Abe, the wife of Japan's Prime Minister.
On the visit to Japan, the Speaker is accompanied by Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, and Anda Čakša, Deputy Chair of the Social and Employment Matters Committee of the Saeima.
The delegation led by the Speaker of the Saeima is currently visiting Japan to meet with members of the Parliament of Japan and government representatives, and to take part in the Women Political Leaders world summit.
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Saeima Press Service