Serbian president, Japanese PM meet

Serbian President Boris Tadic and Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan agreed in Tokyo today that there was room for better relations between the two countries. They also announced they would supported each other's ambitions - Serbia's efforts towards EU integration and Japan's desire to get a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Serbian president, Japanese PM meet Tadic and Kan discussed Serbia's EU integration process and Japan's support in this respect, and after the meeting they signed a joint statement according to which Tokyo offers full support to Serbia's EU integration efforts, and Serbia backs Japan's seek for non-permanent UN Security Council seat for 2016, Kyodo news agency reported. Kan welcomed Tadic to Japan as the first Serbian official to visit that country. He also noted that the Japanese government had decided to allow visa-free travel to Japan for Serbian citizens. Serbia will also be granted 28.2bn yen for flue gas desulphurization at the Obrenovac power plant. Kan described the meeting as fruitful. According to him, Tadic is a democratic leader who promotes dialogue and reconciliation in the Balkans. Japan wishes to help Serbia on its path to EU accession, the prime minister stated. He wants better relations between the two countries and he thanked Tadic for Serbia's support to Japan's efforts to gain a seat on the UN Security Council for 2015. Tadic thanked Kan for the warm welcome, adding that Serbia and Japan have had diplomatic relations for 130 years. No Serbian official has been to Japan since 1968, Tadic pointed out, adding that the visa liberalization was important for the Serbian people. According to the president, the credit for the desulphurization will help protect the environment in Serbia. The Japanese people have given a total of EUR 200mn in various forms of assistance to Serbia over the last ten years, said Tadic. The people in Serbia still ride on buses donated by Japan, he remarked, adding that Serbia was also grateful for the aid sent after the quake in Kraljevo in November 2010. Tadic invited Japanese companies to invest in Serbia and find their place within Serbia's industry. He hopes Serbia will soon get an industrial zone with Japanese companies. The two officials signed a joint statement regarding the meeting just prior to the news conference. Earlier on Tuesday, the Serbian president opened the Serbia-Tokyo Business Forum in Tokyo, at which he called on the Japanese companies to invest in Serbia, pointing out that Serbia is a democratic and politically stable country. The president of Serbia is on a several-day visit to Japan during which he will be received by Emperor of Japan Akihito. Tadic is also scheduled to meet with Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Diet of Japan Takahiro Yokomichi. During his stay in Japan, Tadic will visit Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, where he will have talks with representatives of leading Japanese companies, according to official announcements. Tadic and Kan in Tokyo on Tuesday (Tanjug)

Serbian president, Japanese PM meet

Tadić and Kan discussed Serbia's EU integration process and Japan's support in this respect, and after the meeting they signed a joint statement according to which Tokyo offers full support to Serbia's EU integration efforts, and Serbia backs Japan's seek for non-permanent UN Security Council seat for 2016, Kyodo news agency reported.

Kan welcomed Tadić to Japan as the first Serbian official to visit that country. He also noted that the Japanese government had decided to allow visa-free travel to Japan for Serbian citizens.

Serbia will also be granted 28.2bn yen for flue gas desulphurization at the Obrenovac power plant.

Kan described the meeting as fruitful. According to him, Tadić is a democratic leader who promotes dialogue and reconciliation in the Balkans.

Japan wishes to help Serbia on its path to EU accession, the prime minister stated.

He wants better relations between the two countries and he thanked Tadić for Serbia's support to Japan's efforts to gain a seat on the UN Security Council for 2015.

Tadić thanked Kan for the warm welcome, adding that Serbia and Japan have had diplomatic relations for 130 years.

No Serbian official has been to Japan since 1968, Tadić pointed out, adding that the visa liberalization was important for the Serbian people.

According to the president, the credit for the desulphurization will help protect the environment in Serbia.

The Japanese people have given a total of EUR 200mn in various forms of assistance to Serbia over the last ten years, said Tadić. The people in Serbia still ride on buses donated by Japan, he remarked, adding that Serbia was also grateful for the aid sent after the quake in Kraljevo in November 2010.

Tadić invited Japanese companies to invest in Serbia and find their place within Serbia's industry. He hopes Serbia will soon get an industrial zone with Japanese companies.

The two officials signed a joint statement regarding the meeting just prior to the news conference.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Serbian president opened the Serbia-Tokyo Business Forum in Tokyo, at which he called on the Japanese companies to invest in Serbia, pointing out that Serbia is a democratic and politically stable country.

The president of Serbia is on a several-day visit to Japan during which he will be received by Emperor of Japan Akihito.

Tadić is also scheduled to meet with Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Diet of Japan Takahiro Yokomichi.

During his stay in Japan, Tadić will visit Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, where he will have talks with representatives of leading Japanese companies, according to official announcements.