Japan supports Montenegro's European path, economic and social reforms

Deputy Prime Minister for Regional Development and Minister of Capital Investments Ervin Ibrahimović and State Secretary in the Ministry of Capital Investments Admir Šahmanović met with non-resident Ambassador of Japan to Montenegro Takahiko Katsumata.

Diplomatic relations in the fields of economy and politics of the two countries are an indicator of strength, character and readiness to continue to improve bilateral relations even more resolutely in challenging times, said DPM Ibrahimović.

It is very important to attract more Japanese investors and send a clear message that as a small Mediterranean country we are capable of intensifying efforts to reach the standards of the most developed European countries and show that this is one of the focuses of the new Government, he added.

Pragmatic knowledge transfer, Japanese expertise and growing cooperation between the two countries through concrete projects, despite the challenging geopolitical situation, are the guarantors of economic growth and development. We are interested in further investments. Energy, road infrastructure, tourism, in all spheres of the economy of such a beautiful country we see a huge potential that is still untapped, Ambassador Katsumata said and added that Montenegro has yet to take advantage of its favourable geographical position and valorise vast natural resources.

Representatives of Mitsubishi Corporation Belgrade Liaison Office and ITOCHU Corporation, who were present at the meeting, presented the areas and scope of their business, with special reference to the region and the countries of the Western Balkans.

There is room for further cooperation, and potential projects in the field of development of renewable energy sources are especially interesting, since Montenegro has rich natural resources, said the representative of renowned Japanese companies at the end of the meeting.

The interlocutors agreed that only further proactive efforts and intensified bilateral cooperation can create a system of economically stable and sustainable business at all levels, and significantly contribute to a better standard of living for all citizens of Montenegro.