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Today, the President of the Riigikogu Ene Ergma who is on a visit in Japan met the Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Japanese parliament Takahiro Yokomichi and Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Ryuji Yamane. The discussion with members of the parliamentary group on the European Union of the Japanese parliament was led by the former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Chairman of the parliament’s Internal Affairs and Communications Committee Kazuhiro Haraguchi and Vice-Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Chinami Nishimura. The relations between Estonia and Japan and their future prospects, the perspectives of economic relations of the European Union and Japan, as well as the issues related to globalisation were discussed at the meeting. The representatives of Japan were interested in the developments in Estonia’s cooperation with the European Space Agency.

The Japanese colleagues thanked Estonia for its condolences on the occasion of the disaster in March and for the support to the Japanese Red Cross for eliminating the consequences of the catastrophe. In the wake of the accident at Fukushima nuclear power station, the need to increase energy security by diversifying energy sources and improving the safety of nuclear stations was discussed. All shared the common position that, in today’s networked world, the issue of cyber security demands more international cooperation.
 
The President of the Riigikogu expressed her delight that Estonia is known in Japan, greatly thanks to direct connections in the spheres of science, culture and sports. The relations between the legislative bodies of Estonia and Japan have significantly intensified, which is also confirmed by the upcoming visit of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu at the end of October, besides to the current visit. Ergma also extended her Japanese colleague Yokomichi an invitation to visit Estonia.
 
“The number of Japanese tourists in Estonia is growing year by year but even more Japanese might undertake a trip to Estonia, the country which the head of state of Japan has honoured with his visit and where the Estonian-Japanese sumo hero Kaido Höövelson Baruto – grew up,” Ergma noted at meetings. Ene Ergma also had a meeting with representatives of the Estonian community in Tokyo at the Estonian embassy.
 
The programme of the visit of the President of the Riigikogu to Japan also includes meetings with representatives of the circles of scientists and visits to the Japanese Space Research Agency and to science museums.
 
On 6 October, Ene Ergma will open the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Estonia in Osaka which will be the first Estonian honorary consulate in Japan.
 
 
The Riigikogu Press Service
 
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