History, Legislation, Lithuania, Markets and Companies

Photo: urm.lt

"Lithuania is ready to contribute to this beautiful initiative and examine all possible forms of cooperation together with Japan," said Linkevicius.

Shingo Akatsuka, Mayor of Yaotsu in Gifu Prefecture, where Sugihara was born and grew up, is the author of this initiative. He also came to Lithuania. There is a modern memorial museum in Yaotsu, where a lot of attention is given to Lithuania and Kaunas.

According to the Minister, "Chiune Sugihara is one of the main cultural and historical factors connecting Lithuania and Japan". Recently, the world premiere of the film titled Persona Non Grata was organised in Lithuania. Many tourists from Japan come to visit the Sugihara House in Kaunas and other sites relating to Sugihara's activities.

In the meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania's foreign minister discussed economic relations between the two countries, a possibility of using the full potential in the fields of trade, investment, science and research, development and tourism.

Linkevicius invited Japanese representatives of business and science to take part in the largest life sciences forum in the Baltic region Life Sciences Baltics 2016.

Next year marks 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Lithuania. The officials also discussed a possibility of organizing events to celebrate this anniversary together with Gifu Prefecture.