Friday, May 19, 2017 | The Japan Times | 5

(VIP visit special) President’s Visit Economic, cultural bonds Furthering trade and investment activities Ken Kobayashi statement that was aimed at achieving Argentine committee to achieve wide- Chairman, Japan-Argentina Business an early conclusion of an investment ranging, multilayered relationships Cooperation Committee agreement. in trade and investment and related I am convinced that there is much activities. built on mutual respect On behalf of the more that we will be able to achieve by In conclusion, we hope that the presi- Japan-Argentina working together. The Japan-Argentina dent’s visit will be the catalyst for fur- Business Coopera- Business Cooperation Committee will ther activity in our bilateral economic Alan beraud tion Committee, I work in close cooperation with the relationship. ambassador of argentina am delighted to express my sincere On May 25 Argen- welcome, as well tina celebrates its as my heartfelt Biography of President Macri National Day. At congratulations, the same time, the upon the occasion An engineer by training, President of carbon emissions and traffic in Buenos President of Argen- of President of Argentina H.E. Mauricio the Republic of Argentina Mauricio Aires and its surrounding suburbs. He tina H.E. ’s visit to Japan. Macri has held the office since Decem- also expanded bike access and usage Macri and the First Argentina has long been an important ber 2015, following a career in business, in , creating 155 km of Lady are visiting partner for Japan, and the two countries sports and politics as mayor of Buenos bicycle lanes and a citywide bike-share Japan from May 18 have enjoyed amicable and friendly Aires. system, boosting the number of people to 20, providing us relations for almost 120 years. From an During the presidential campaign, that cycle in the city every day to over with a double celebration. economic standpoint, our relationship Macri earned the support of citizens 150,000. Last November, Argentina and Japan remains important through the trade of and political parties across the ideo- Before being elected mayor, Macri established a strategic partnership. The food, raw materials and finished prod- logical spectrum based on his “Let’s was president of Club Atletico Boca exponential increase in the level of the ucts, as well as investment in a variety of Change” platform that looked for alter- Juniors, the most popular soccer club bilateral relations is the outcome of fruit- sectors. However, we feel that there are natives to the isolationist and populist in the country. Overseeing a vast opera- ful meetings between our leaders. Since yet many possibilities to expand busi- policies of the past. tion, Macri reduced debt and repaired they first met in April 2016, Prime Min- ness, considering Argentina’s geographi- The president has made achiev- years of financial mismanagement — ister Shinzo Abe visited Buenos Aires on cal and economic importance in the ing zero poverty, defeating drug-traf- resulting in the team’s most success- November 21, and now our president is region. ficking and uniting under ful period in decades, winning several making an official visit to Japan accompa- President Mauricio Macri (second from right) and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Buenos Aires The president has made a series of stronger democratic institutions as major domestic titles and international nied by six of his cabinet ministers. Over in November embassy of argentina bold economic and trade-related reforms the three main commitments of his trophies. the past year, both leaders have worked since taking office in December 2015, administration. After graduating with a degree in to reinvigorate and restructure Argentina- clean water provision for local communi- 11th ministerial meeting later this year and and Argentina has successfully restored Prior to being elected, Macri served civil engineering from the Catholic Uni- Japan bilateral relations. Today’s discussion ties are being tendered. Shale oil and shale the G-20 summit in 2018. Argentina’s com- its access to the international financial as mayor of Buenos Aires, first elected versity of Argentina, Macri undertook will be their third face-to-face meeting. An gas, as well as offshore exploration and mitment to the multilateral trade system is markets. Ambitious structural reforms in 2007 and re-elected with 64 percent postgraduate studies at the Columbia audience with Their Majesties Emperor exploitation together with pipelines, are in crystal clear. are being unceasingly undertaken. We of the vote in 2011. As mayor, Macri pur- Business School in New York, later Akihito and is also sched- motion. A friendly environment for inves- Argentina and Japan also pay great would like to express our great admira- sued regeneration programs in many of working in the automobile and con- uled, as is a meeting with the Japan-Argen- tors is in place, including opportunities attention to culture and traditions and tion for these efforts. the city’s poorer areas, expanded access struction sectors as an engineer, busi- tina Parliamentary Friendship League. for joint ventures and equity investment people-to-people exchanges. A very spe- In May 2016, the Vice President of to early education and health care, ness analyst and executive. Other important happenings include an between Argentine and Japanese small and cial connection links Argentina and Japan, Argentina H.E. Gabriela Michetti visited improved the city’s financial manage- In 1991, he was kidnapped and held agreement on a reinforced mechanism for medium-sized enterprises in agribusiness with the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo Japan. Her visit was followed in Novem- ment and expanded arts and cultural for ransom for 14 days, an episode he political consultations. Additionally, a bilat- to target overseas and global markets. preceded by the Youth Olympics in Buenos ber by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s investment. has said led him to focus his career on eral investment treaty is in its final negotia- Bilateral technical and trilateral coopera- Aires in 2018. Let’s work together for sport official visit to Argentina — the first by He was also responsible for pushing public service to reduce poverty, vio- tion stage, while a third economic forum is tion are putting together the joint capa- and for the everlasting friendship that a sitting Japanese Prime Minister in 57 through much-needed public trans- lence and corruption. taking place to foster networking among bilities and resources of Argentine and sports involve. years. Taking advantage of this opportu- port and environmental initiatives to Macri is married to businesswoman Japanese and Argentine businesspeople. Japanese experts. We expect that world- Both countries are working closely nity, we held the Japan-Argentina Joint improve sustainable mobility in the Juliana Awada and has four children. The breadth and exceptional level of events wide well-known premium Argentine together every day to strengthen their tra- Business Committee conference with the city. He created the first rapid-transit He was born in 1959 in Tandil, taking place in this short period of time are beef, Patagonian lamb and fresh fruit will ditional ties to celebrate their 120th anni- Argentine committee in Buenos Aires bus system in the country, reducing Argentina. the best evidence of the strength and depth diversify our bilateral trade. Argentina will versary of diplomatic relations in 2018 at a on Nov. 21, where we adopted a joint of our friendship that is rooted in a long his- be hosting the World Trade Organization’s peak stage of their friendly relationship. tory and destined for a bright future. While the Japan External Trade Organi- zation dispatched a permanent resident representative to Argentina and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, the Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban Our Heartiest Welcome to Development and the Japan Oil, Gas and Congratulations Our Heartiest Welcome to Metals National Corporation are ready to expand operations in Argentina to sup- port Japanese investors there. Major Japa- to the People of nese corporations accompanied the prime President Mauricio Macri President Mauricio Macri minister and have been identifying new operations and new businesses through their local or regional branches. Invest- the Argentine Republic ment in major infrastructure projects, par- of the Argentine Republic of the Argentine Republic ticularly in the transport sector, are being launched and comprehensive programs on the 201st Anniversary of to renew railways, ports, airports and logistics facilities are ongoing. Renewable on His Of cial Visit to Japan on His Of cial Visit to Japan energy projects along with sewage and The congress building in Buenos Aires inprotur Their Independence Iguazu Falls in Misiones province INPROTUR

http://www.marubeni.com

Our Heartiest Welcome to Our Heartiest Welcome to Our Heartiest Welcome to President Mauricio Macri of the Argentine Republic on His Of cial Visit to Japan President Mauricio Macri President Mauricio Macri

Tokyo Station Yaesu exits paved by Argentine Porphyry Patagonian clean hydrogen, porphyries & spirits of the Argentine Republic GREAT SPIRIT CO., LTD. of the Argentine Republic Minoru Yokoyama, President on His Official Visit to Japan 1-16-7-502 Ebisu-Minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0022 TEL: 03-5722-9103 FAX: 03-5722-9003 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.great-spirit.jp

Our Heartiest Welcome to President Mauricio Macri Our Heartiest Welcome to of the Argentine Republic on His Official Visit to Japan H.E. Mauricio Macri, President of Argentina, and His Wife on Their Official Visit to Japan

Everything in Pearls JEWELERS, PEARL DEALERS, EXPORTERS www.yazaki-group.com

SINCE 1944 MATOBA & CO., INC. TEL: (03) 3434-6900 Open: 10:00-18:00 MATOBA PEARLS SALON Yazaki Argentina S.R.L. Closed on Sundays E-1211 Shiroyama Trust Court, 4-3-2 Toranomon, Minato-ku,Tokyo 105-0001

PAGE: 5