TOKYO - Czech President Petr Pavel was received today by Japanese Emperor Naruhito during a ceremonial meeting at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. It was one of the highlights of the President's official visit to Japan. The reception began at exactly 11:00 local time (4:00 CEST) and lasted approximately thirty minutes.

The exact topics of the talks have traditionally been kept confidential, but according to the Japanese daily Nikkei, the importance of the World Expo in terms of promoting international understanding and peace was among the main points of discussion. Emperor Naruhito also praised the President's visit to Hiroshima, which the Czech Head of State undertook as part of his programme. According to the Japanese Imperial Household Agency, the Emperor expressed his personal gratitude to President Pavel for honouring the memory of the victims of the atomic bombing.

The audience with the Emperor was followed by a meeting between President Paul and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. In their opening statements, the two statesmen highlighted the long-standing friendly relations between the Czech Republic and Japan. According to Mr Paul, there is room for further development of cooperation, especially in the fields of science, research, modern technologies and security.

President Paul's trip to Japan, which began with a visit to Hiroshima and continued with a series of diplomatic and business meetings in Tokyo, is the first official visit of a Czech head of state to the land of the rising sun in more than a decade. The aim of the visit is to strengthen bilateral relations and promote Czech interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

gnews.cz - GH