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The Significance of the Visit to Japan by His Excellency Mr. Guntis Ulmanis, President of the Republic of Latvia

November 1998

1. The First Visit by a Latvian President to Japan

President Guntis Ulmanis of the Republic of Latvia is the first Latvian Head of State who has come to Japan since its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. This visit will conclude a round of presidential visits from all three Baltic republics, as the presidents from Estonia and Lithuania have already come to Japan. This visit will initiate a new phase in Japan's relations with the Baltic countries.

2. To Strengthen Relations with Latvia, a Long-time Friend of Japan

1) Latvia has traditionally maintained a very friendly attitude toward Japan. Before World War II, Japan held a legation in Latvia. Now, there is even a national full-time Japanese-language school in the capital of Riga. Japan, for its part, has taken a number of steps to strengthen bilateral relations with Latvia. For instance, Japan has been extending Official Development Assistance (ODA) since 1996 to support Latvian transition to democracy and a market economy. This visit is expected to spur further development in our bilateral relations.

2) In promoting economic development, Latvia wishes to strengthen its economic ties with Japan. This is one of the reasons why President Ulmanis will be accompanied by members of the Latvian business community on his visit. The interchange with Japanese business leaders during their visit is expected to bring about strengthening of economic relations between both countries.

3. To Exchange Views on the Future of Europe

Europe is currently pursuing a new international framework for the 21st century, and one cannot overlook the significant impact of developments in Latvia as well as the other Baltic republics on the expansion of the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Relations between the Baltic republics and Russia are another issue that deserves our attention. Located between Western Europe and Russia, Latvia is an important player in developments that affect all of Europe. Exchanging views with the president of Latvia over such European affairs and other international issues will be quite meaningful.