At the meeting of the Estonia and Japanese parliamentary groups in the Japanese parliament on Wednesday, the crisis in Ukraine was the main topic.

Both the Estonian and the Japanese delegation were deeply concerned about the Ukrainian crisis and they found that a diplomatic solution should be found to the situation. The inviolability and territorial integrity of a sovereign state are important values for both Estonia and Japan.

The delegations also discussed the impact of the crisis on the global economy. “The Tokyo Stock Exchange was one of the first to go into free fall and drag other stock exchanges of the world along after Russia’s occupation of Crimea. No one can accurately forecast today the impact on the global economy that may result from an escalation of the crisis,” the Chairman of the Estonia-Japan Parliamentary Group Imre Sooäär said.

Economic and research cooperation, the relationships between universities and the issues of e-state and e-services of Estonia were also discussed at the meeting of the parliamentary groups of the two countries. The Deputy Chairman of the Estonia-Japan Parliamentary Group Sven Sester gave an overview of the challenges of cyber security and the principles of e-state to the Japanese colleagues. The Estonian delegation called for closer cooperation and mutual exchange of know-how and specialists in the issues of e-services.

The meeting took place within the framework of the official visit of the President of the Republic to Japan. The Estonian friendship group in Japan includes 33 members of the upper and lower houses of the Japanese parliament. Around 40 people, including officials and diplomats, participated in the meeting. Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Imre Sooäär and Vladimir Vellman and Chairman of the Finance Committee Sven Sester represented Estonia.

Photos of the meeting

Additional information: Imre Sooäär, 51 22 328

The Riigikogu Press Service

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