Visit to the Republic of Turkey by Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs

December 28, 2009
Japanese

Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, will visit the Republic of Turkey from January 3 (Sun) to 4 (Mon), 2010.
During his visit to Turkey, Minister Okada will pay a courtesy call on Mr. Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey, in Ankara, and have a meeting with Dr. Ahmet Davutoglu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey. He is attending the opening ceremony of the "Japan Year 2010 in Turkey." He will have informal talks with the people involved in the Japan Year, and visit the sites of Japan's economic cooperation projects in Istanbul.
Turkey plays an important role in constructing peace and stability in the Middle East and Central Asia. It also plays a vital role in international political and economic issues as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a G20 member. It is expected that through the ministerial meeting and others during the visit, the bilateral partnership for broader cooperation towards realization of peace and stability in some regions including the Middle East should be further reinforced. It is also expected that Minister Okada's participation in the opening ceremony of the Japan Year 2010 in Turkey will be an opportunity to highlight the close cooperative relationship between Japan and Turkey, both inside and outside the two countries.

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