Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis meets with the Ambassador of Japan, Yasuhiro Shimizu (Athens, 27 September 2019)

Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis today met with the Ambassador of Japan, Yasuhiro Shimizu.

During the discussion, which took place in a friendly climate, the excellent level of bilateral relations was confirmed, which are founded on friendship and trust between the two peoples.

Also ascertained was the need to further enhance bilateral political and economic cooperation. The two interlocutors agreed that the completion of the procedures for the signing of a memorandum in the shipping sector will help in this direction, as will the signing of an agreement on avoidance of double taxation. Mr. Varvitsiotis stressed that Japanese investments are welcome in Greece, and the Japanese Ambassador referred to examples of Japanese enterprises operating successfully our country. They agreed on the importance of respect for international law, on which international relations must be founded.

Ambassador Shimizu then gave a brief presentation of the geopolitical developments in East Asia and the issues his country is dealing with. He also presented the cultural activities scheduled for the celebration of the 120th anniversary of Greek-Japanese diplomatic relations and referred to Japan’s preparations for hosting the 2020 Olympic Games.