Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ditmir Bushati had a very friendly meeting today with the Head of Albania-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group and its Secretary General, respectively the MPs Hiroshi Hase and Minoru Kiuchi, who are paying a visit to Albania.

The interlocutors engaged in a fruitful discussion on how to boost bilateral relations. Japanese MPs said that they would soon organize a tour with Japanese companies in Albania, as a good and concrete opportunity to explore investment potentials in our  country. In addition, they focused on the importance of increasing people-to-people contacts, especially among young people, and exchanges in this context in the fields of education and sport. Getting to know Albania better will also be an incentive to increase the number of Japanese tourists in our country. The MPs showed readiness to support Minister’s Bushati’s proposal to include Albania in the mobility programs for researchers and students.

Futhermore, the Japanese side expressed their willingness to host and assist our athletes during the Summer Olympic Games, also known as Tokyo 2020.

The meeting served also as a good chance to talk about #ColoursofAlbania photography contest launched by MEFA, which will be open until September 30, 2018. Minister Bushati invited Mr. Hase’s daughter, who is accompanying him in this trip, to become part of this competition, to show Albania through the eyes of a 20-year-old Japanese girl.

Earlier this year, during his visit to Japan in June, Minister Bushati invited Japanese MPs to visit Albania and explore new ways of intensifying bilateral ties. Japan has recently increased its attention on Western Balkan countries within the framework of the Japan’s Western Balkan Cooperation Initiative, launched by Prime Minister Abe during his Balkan and South East European tour in January earlier this year.