Japan-Macedonia Summit Meeting (Overview)

On Wednesday, November 30, commencing at 5:30 p.m. for around 30 minutes, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, who is making a working visit to Japan as a guest. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. Bilateral relations:

(1) At the beginning of the meeting the Prime Ministers both acknowledged the significance of Prime Minister Gruevski’s visit to Japan, the first visit of a Prime Minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia since the establishment of diplomatic relations between both countries. Prime Minister Gruevski once again offered his condolences over the Great East Japan Earthquake, and Prime Minister Noda responded by again expressing his gratitude for the support Japan received following the earthquake disaster.

(2) Prime Minister Gruevski said he is satisfied with the progress in the bilateral relations of both countries, and that from here on he hopes to strengthen their economic relations. He explained his country’s efforts to improve its investment environment. Furthermore, Prime Minister Gruevski expressed his intention to establish an embassy in Japan, along with voicing his gratitude for Japan’s economic cooperation thus far, including the Zletovica Basin Water Utilization Improvement Project.

(3) Prime Minister Noda praised the efforts the country has made toward democracy and ethnic harmony following the end of its ethnic conflict, and vowed to continue to support those efforts. Prime Minister Noda also stated that Prime Minister Gruevski’s attendance at business forums (investment seminars) held in Tokyo and Osaka during his stay in Japan will prove effective in arousing interest in the country within Japan’s business community.

2. Cooperation in the international arena

The Prime Ministers agreed to continue to work closely together toward resolving various international challenges such as the human rights situation in North Korea and achieving United Nations Security Council reform. Prime Minister Gruevski once again expressed support for Japan to become a permanent member of the Security Council.