PM Ciuca meets head of Japan-Romania Parliamentary Friendship League Ichiro Aisawa; agenda of talks-energy, infrastructure, research

Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca met on Tuesday, at the Victoria Palace, with the chairman of the Japan-Romania Parliamentary Friendship League, Ichiro Aisawa, whom he discussed with about the concrete ways to collaborate at bilateral level in areas such as energy, infrastructure, research-development.

According to a press release of the Government, the prime minister showed the economic importance of the relations between the two countries, in the context in which Japan is the most important Asian investor in Romania, Agerpres informs.

Within the dialogue there have been analyzed the effects of the Russian military aggression in Ukraine and the need to manage the security situation in the region without affecting the economic developments.

Prime Minister Ciuca presented the support granted to Ukraine, alongside the international community, especially to the refugees of the neighboring country and for the transit of exported products. Romania is coordinating its endeavors in this context, both within the European Union and NATO, but especially with the strategic partners, the release underscores.

"One of the main topics tackled was aimed at the unfolding of Japanese projects, including in view of completing the bridge in Braila, which has a special relevance for the connectivity in the region, but also for strengthening the cooperation between Japan and the European Union in future projects. Among the areas of interest for the Romanian-Japanese collaboration there are (..) nuclear energy, infrastructure and research. Japan's involvement in supporting the Tree Seas Initiative is among the cooperation opportunities,especially in the context in which Romania is to host, this autumn, in Bucharest, the Initiative Forum," the release also shows.

Ichiro Aisawa conveyed appreciations for the aid which Romania gave to the Ukrainian refugees, both in terms of children education and jobs offered to them.

"The Japanese guest underscored the confidence and friendship with which Romania is regarded and thanked for the unfolding of projects with Japan, including for the the construction of the M6 subway line, Bucharest - Otopeni. Furthermore, the interest for collaboration in the management of the projects of small modular nuclear reactors for the production of energy was conveyed," the Government release conveys.

The Executive head mentioned the importance of the collaboration between the Nuclear Physics Institute in Bucharest and scientists from Japan, which will be able to bring significant progress in the research and development of the laser industry, having a strategic relevance.

"A new cooperation opportunity will be the organization in our country, in June, of the first Romanian-Japanese innovation forum, in Cluj-Napoca, providing the opportunity to promote projects in the area of robotics, digitization and artificial intelligence. From the perspective of cultural relations, the decision of our country to have a Romanian cultural institute in Tokyo was mentioned, which will contribute to the development of bilateral relations and to a better knowledge of our country by the Japanese public," the quoted source mentions.

The prime minister also thanked for the support granted by Japan in view of Romania's accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).