Aliyev starts visit to Japan

President Ilham Aliyev started his official visit to Japan on Tuesday as part of his tour of the Oriental countries. The two countries are expected to sign a number of bilateral documents during the visit to last till Friday.

President Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva will meet with the Emperor and Empress and hold talks with the country’s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

The parties will conclude a memorandum on cooperation between the two foreign ministers and an agreement on provision of technical assistance to Azerbaijan.

Along with capital investments in the country’s oil sector, Japanese companies are cooperating with Azeri state-owned Azerkimya chemicals company. Japan also plays a major role in financing education and agricultural fields. In addition to economic issues, the two countries will discuss the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.

The Azeri leader is scheduled to hold some 15 meetings while in Japan, starting on Wednesday. He will first meet with the president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Sadako Ogata, to be followed by his meetings with officials, and heads of several companies working in the banking and oil sector. Aliyev will also deliver a one-hour speech at the joint business forum.

On the last day of the visit, the president will meet with the Japanese prime minister, followed by the signing of a joint declaration on friendship, collaboration and bilateral ties, and an agreement on technical cooperation.

This will be the first visit by an Azeri leader to Japan since 1998 when former president Heydar Aliyev visited this country.