Volodymyr Lytvyn: Economic Cooperation between Ukraine and Japan has a Great Potential for Development
07 October 2011, 11:13
Volodymyr Lytvyn: Economic Cooperation between Ukraine and Japan has a Great Potential for Development
On Friday,
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Lytvyn met the delegation
of the House of Representatives of the Japanese Parliament headed by Mr Tadamasa Kodaira,
Chairman of the Executive Board of the House of Representatives Committee on Rules
and Administration.
The participants of the meeting discussed a wide range of issues concerning implementation of energy-saving projects, use of alternative energy sources, strengthening of energy security, cooperation in the agricultural sector, and activization of inter-parliamentary liaison.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine declared that the Japanese nation is close to Ukrainians not only by similar challenges, but also by national mentality: optimism, patience, and delicacy. He hopes that the visit of the Japanese parliamentary delegation to Ukraine will strengthen bilateral cooperation.
V. Lytvyn thanked the Japanese participants of the events dedicated to Chornobyl disaster, adding "we have to make common cause to consider the problem of nuclear safety and develop respective recommendations." Along these lines, he suggested that "Chornobyl zone should be used as an international training area, an international research laboratory for modeling situations and working out recommendations."
Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Administration of the Japanese parliament informed that they learned the situation with the exclusion zone around the Chornobyl nuclear power station, and thanked Ukrainians for support and humanitarian aid after the earthquake near the Fukushima nuclear power plant. (For reference, Ukraine was one of the first countries to offer its assistance in overcoming the consequences of the earthquake, tsunami, and accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant).
Japanese
parliament members are interested in cooperating with Ukraine in the sphere of nuclear-power
engineering, particularly on safety
matters and alternative energy sources. They are also concerned with supply of
agricultural production and foodstuffs from Ukraine to Japan.
The Head of the Ukrainian parliament stated that holding of the Third sitting of the Ukrainian-Japanese Committee on Cooperation between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and organization of the first-ever visit of the Head of the Japanese government to Ukraine would support a stable political dialogue. He also supposes that all-round development of Ukrainian-Japanese relations will boost inter-parliamentary liaison between the committees and groups of friendship.
V. Lytvyn stressed that Japan is a strategic partner of Ukraine in industry, financial sector, agriculture, and energy-saving technologies. Therefore, economic cooperation between Ukraine and Japan has a great potential of development owing to the stable economic and political situation in Ukraine and renewal of activity of the Japanese business in the international field.
The Head of the Ukrainian parliament is looking forward to the implementation of energy-saving projects by the Japanese companies, introduction of advanced technologies, and attraction of investments to the agribusiness. "I hope and believe that cooperation will become permanent," he stressed. "Ukraine is rich in natural and human resources. Today we have to learn how to live in a civilized manner."
On behalf of Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr Takahiro Yokomichi, members of the Japanese parliament invited the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to make an official visit to Japan.