Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan warmly welcomed Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and his spouse in Tokyo palace. Both countries have many mutual interests in the region, especially under Japanese programme “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy”.
President Maithripala Sirisena and Mrs Jayanthi Sirisena paid a state visit to Japan, they were welcomed by the Emperor couple. During the four-day-long visit, the Sri Lankan leader is scheduled to discuss several important issues such as development infrastructure in Sri Lanka, a loan agreement will be signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to implement a project to improve health and medical services.
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko expressed their hope that the four-day-long visit will be as successful as possible. Emperor Akihito recalled the memories of his visit to Sri Lanka in 1981 said that he was privileged for the opportunity to visit the historical temple of the sacred tooth relic in Kandy. After the meeting, Emperor joined President Sirisena in his tour of the historic Imperial Palace.
Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe will hold a meeting with the visiting President and host a dinner in his honour. The two leaders will discuss matters of mutual interest to deepen cooperation between Sri Lanka and Japan.
On March 12-16, President Sirisena is scheduled to attend a business meeting organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), which will be co-hosted by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry. During the State visit, the President will also meet with the Sri Lankan community in Japan.
