ID :
192348
Fri, 07/01/2011 - 18:25
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/192348
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Japan, Brazil to ease visa conditions to boost business exchanges
BRASILIA (Kyodo) - Japanese and Brazilian foreign ministers agreed Thursday to ease visa conditions to boost bilateral business exchanges in their talks in the Brazilian capital, the two sides said.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto and his Brazilian counterpart Antonio Patriota agreed that the South American country will simplify its application procedure for business visas and extend their validity period, while Tokyo will issue multiple visas for up to three years to Brazilian businessmen.
Brazil is the only major Latin American country to require Japanese nationals to obtain visas. Japanese companies have complained about the current conditions for business visas, which are only available for 90 days and take time to acquire.
The foreign ministers also confirmed that Brazil will soon resume imports of Japanese food, which have been suspended over fears of radioactive contamination stemming from the ongoing nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, as the two countries agreed on the specifics of safety certificates to be attached to such products.
At a press conference, Patriota and Matsumoto expressed their intention to strengthen economic relations between Japan and Brazil. The Japanese foreign minister called for a free trade agreement between Japan and Mercosur, a trade bloc comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Patriota said his country will soon consider simplifying the visa procedure. But when it will start issuing business visas for longer periods remains up in the air, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said.
The Brazilian foreign minister also proposed to Matsumoto that the foreign ministers of Brazil, Japan, Germany and India gather before the U.N. General Assembly meeting slated for September in New York to push for reform of the U.N. Security Council.
The so-called Group of Four nations are planning to seek the expansion of both the permanent and nonpermanent membership of the 15-member council. Matsumoto, however, declined to comment on the feasibility of the G-4 meeting proposed by Patriota, the officials said.
China, one of the five permanent members of the council, is opposed to a plan to expand its membership, while countries of the Uniting for Consensus Group such as Argentina, Italy, Pakistan and South Korea are only pressing for an increase in the number of nonpermanent members.
The two foreign ministers also signed documents for Japan to extend up to around 50 billion yen in loans to improve the water supply infrastructure in the state of Sao Paulo and bus systems in the metropolitan area of Belem, northern Brazil.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto and his Brazilian counterpart Antonio Patriota agreed that the South American country will simplify its application procedure for business visas and extend their validity period, while Tokyo will issue multiple visas for up to three years to Brazilian businessmen.
Brazil is the only major Latin American country to require Japanese nationals to obtain visas. Japanese companies have complained about the current conditions for business visas, which are only available for 90 days and take time to acquire.
The foreign ministers also confirmed that Brazil will soon resume imports of Japanese food, which have been suspended over fears of radioactive contamination stemming from the ongoing nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, as the two countries agreed on the specifics of safety certificates to be attached to such products.
At a press conference, Patriota and Matsumoto expressed their intention to strengthen economic relations between Japan and Brazil. The Japanese foreign minister called for a free trade agreement between Japan and Mercosur, a trade bloc comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Patriota said his country will soon consider simplifying the visa procedure. But when it will start issuing business visas for longer periods remains up in the air, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said.
The Brazilian foreign minister also proposed to Matsumoto that the foreign ministers of Brazil, Japan, Germany and India gather before the U.N. General Assembly meeting slated for September in New York to push for reform of the U.N. Security Council.
The so-called Group of Four nations are planning to seek the expansion of both the permanent and nonpermanent membership of the 15-member council. Matsumoto, however, declined to comment on the feasibility of the G-4 meeting proposed by Patriota, the officials said.
China, one of the five permanent members of the council, is opposed to a plan to expand its membership, while countries of the Uniting for Consensus Group such as Argentina, Italy, Pakistan and South Korea are only pressing for an increase in the number of nonpermanent members.
The two foreign ministers also signed documents for Japan to extend up to around 50 billion yen in loans to improve the water supply infrastructure in the state of Sao Paulo and bus systems in the metropolitan area of Belem, northern Brazil.
