Visit to Japan by Mr. Vladimir Meciar, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic

March 23, 1997

1. Mr. Vladimir Meciar, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, accompanied by a suite including Mr. Sergej Kozlik, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, and Mr. Pavol Hamzik, Minister for Foreign Affairs, will visit Japan from March 23 (Sun.) to 27 (Thu.).
   
   
2. During his stay in Japan, Mr. Meciar will be received in audience by His Majesty The Emperor and will pay a courtesy call on Mr. Soichiro Ito, Speaker of the House of Representatives. He is also scheduled to have talks with Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, Minister for Foreign Affairs Yukihiko Ikeda and other high level officials of the Japanese Government, and attend the Slovak Republic Trade and Investment Seminar. He will visit on March 26 (Wed.) Osaka and Nagoya.
   
   
3. The Slovak Republic became an independent country, by peaceful split of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic in January 1993. Since then, the country has been promoting democratization and economic reforms towards market economy, and in terms of diplomacy trying to return to Europe by joining the NATO and the EU. This visit of Prime Minister Meciar will be the first by a prime minister of the Slovak Republic since the country became independent. It will further strengthen friendly relations that have existed since the time of Czechoslovakia and will give a new impetus to bilateral relations.