Riga lawmakers and business delegation to visit Japan

RIGA - A delegation of  the Riga City Council and businessmen will visit Kobe in early November to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the twinning of Riga and Kobe, LETA was told.

Several meetings, ceremonies and events are planned during the visit. The municipality believes that the visit will be an important step in the long-term economic, innovation, education and cultural cooperation between the two cities, as well as in promoting Riga's recognition in Japan.

The delegation of the Latvian capital will be led by Riga Mayor Vilnis Kirsis (New Unity).

The visit will also include Vice Mayor Linda Ozola (Code for Riga), Chairwoman of the education, culture and sports committee Laima Geikina (For), Latvian Ambassador to Japan Zigmars Zilgalvis, Riga City Architect Peteris Ratas, as well as representatives of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia and Latvian entrepreneurs from Fortes, Barboleta and Pharmeko Lettland.

On November 5, Riga City Council representatives will meet with the Kobe city administration to discuss cooperation in the fields of development and innovation. A session on start-up and innovation ecosystems, where representatives of both cities will share experiences and ideas on entrepreneurship support, as well as a meeting of experts in the field of education are planned.

On November 5, officials will also jointly launch a special sound-photo exhibition highlighting the cultural heritage of Riga and Kobe. The opening will feature a musical performance.

On November 6, a Latvia-Japan Business Forum will be held in cooperation with JETRO, an organization working to promote the exportability of Japanese companies in international markets.

On November 6, the visit will also include a visit to Kobe Zoo, which is home to Zuze, a baby elephant brought from Riga. Representatives of the Riga City Council will visit an exhibition dedicated to the twinning of the two cities.

On November 7, the visit will conclude with a visit to the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster, the State Research and Development Agency, as well as an introduction to the reconstruction and urban planning of the Sannomia Centre.