Spanish prime minister’s visit R einforcing relations with Japan B rief profile of Mariano Rajoy, head of the government of Spain B nSorn i antiago de Compostela sembly of Pontevedra and in that spokesman and minister of the the general elections of 2004 and (La Coruña), Spain, on March final year was named vice presi- presidency, a role he performed 2008, and re-elected president of while developing new initiatives 27, 1955, Mariano Rajoy has a dent of the autonomous gov- until 2003. the Partido Popular at the 16th degree in law from the University ernment of Galicia. In 1990 he He was secretary general of National Congress, held in Va- Miguel Navarro and A the tlantic Oceans under joint business initiatives in new of Santiago de Compostela. jumped up to the national politi- the Partido Popular from Sep- lencia in June 2008, he has been Asmbas ador of Spain the command of the areas to less-known aspects A property registrar by profes- cal level, elevated to the position tember 2003 to October 2004, president of the government, the Hasekura Tsunenaga, this long of Spanish culture, which we sion, his political career has al- of vice secretary general of the when he was elected president equivalent of prime minister, S pain and Ja- journey led to the first political hope will develop a renovated ways been linked to the Partido Partido Popular, though he had of the Partido Popular at its 15th since Dec. 21, 2011. pan relations encounter between the Span- interest toward my country. Its Popular (People’s Party), the cur- been a member of the party’s National Congress. He is married and has two have a long ish Habsburg empire and the program has been conceived rent name of the party known as National Executive Committee A presidential candidate in children. history. We Japanese empire and the first as an open and dynamic pro- the Alianza Popular (People’s since 1989. are celebrat- official visit by an envoy from cess, which is incorporating Alliance) until 1989. He has held Starting in 1996, he took on ingD Y a ual ear Japan to the . new initiatives on a continu- diverse positions at the regional various Cabinet portfolios such (2013-2014) to The Dual Year counts with ous basis and to setting up level. He was elected a member as minister of public adminis- commemorate the High Patronage of our two continuing bridges between of the parliament of the autono- tration (1996-1999) and minister the 400th an- Crown Princes. H.I.H. Crown our two societies. mous region of Galicia in 1981 of education and culture (1999- niversary of the Keicho Em- Prince Naruhito honored us This first official visit to Japan and appointed director general 2000). bassy, which was sent to Spain with his official visit to Spain of the President of the Span- of institutional relations for the In 2001 he was designated first by the Daimyo of Date in June on the occasion of ish government Mariano Rajoy autonomous government of vice president of the government Masamune in 1613 to propose the opening of the Dual Year. from Oct. 1 to 3 will launch a President of the Government Galicia. and minister of the interior, and a commercial treaty to the H.R.H. Crown Prince Don Fe- new framework in our bilateral Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s prime From 1983 to 1986 he was in 2002, first vice president of King of Spain Phillip III. This lipe is also expected to visit relations, following the impor- minister president of the Regional As- the government, government was the first Japanese diplo- Japan next year. As H.R.H. the tant ascent of political visits, matic mission ever sent to the Crown Prince of Spain has un- business initiatives and in third Western world. After an epic derlined, the Dual Year covers markets and cultural exchanges Major agenda for Prime Minister Rajoy’s visit to Japan navigation crossing the Pacific a wide range of activities from between our two countries in recent years. A new Partnership S panish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is paying Forum, which brings together companies and for Peace, Growth and Innova- an official visit to Japan from Oct. 1 to 3, as part civil society in Spain and Japan. He will also tion will give impulse to and of the Spain-Japan Dual Year 2013-2014, which meet with Japanese entrepreneurs and further develop our coopera- commemorates the 400th anniversary of the participate in the Spain-Japan business meeting tion through the reinforcement Keicho Embassy, the historic mission led by organized in collaboration with Keidanren. of high-level visits and strong Japanese samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga. At the cultural level, the prime minister will networks between our private During his stay in Japan the prime minister inaugurate the exhibition “Inside and Outside, sectors and civil societies, with will be received in audience by Emperor Akihito the Two Faces of Spanish Informalism in the a view to the celebration on our at the Imperial Palace on Oct. 2. Collections of the Museo Nacional Centro de 150th anniversary of our bilat- Prime Minister Rajoy will have a summit Arte Reina Sofia” at the National Museum of eral Treaty of Friendship, Com- meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Oct. Western Art in Ueno Park, Tokyo. merce and Navigation, which 3, with the main objective to agree on Also, Prime Minister Rajoy is scheduled to restored our mutual historical mechanisms for a reinforced political dialogue visit the city of Fukushima for the opening of the ties ever since. Among other ar- among a variety of areas and for an increasing exhibition “Jose Maria Sicilia: Fukushima-Winter eas of particular importance we cooperation in Latin America and Asia. At the Flowers,” which commemorates the March 11, will consider, as a priority for meeting, four cooperation agreements between 2011, disasters and will be held at the Fukushima cooperation, political and se- Spanish and Japanese agencies in trade, Prefectural Museum of Art. Furthermore, the curity dialogue, cooperation for customs, nuclear issues and official credit will be visit aims to support the efforts of Japanese economic growth, science and signed. Abe will also host a dinner for Rajoy. citizens in overcoming the aftermath of the Contemporary landmark: The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is technology, global issues and On the economic front, Prime Minister Rajoy disaster and as a sign of solidarity with the designed by architect Frank Gehry and located in Bilbao, cultural and people-to-people will inaugurate the 16th Spanish-Japanese Japanese people. Basque Country, Spain. n spa ish tourism office exchanges.

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