(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Economy and Industry Minister Eli Cohen, today (Tuesday, 15 January 2019), met with Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko.
This is the third visit in the past four years by the Japanese minister. He arrived accompanied by 150 senior Japanese businesspeople and approximately 90 representatives of major companies. The Japanese Economy Minister's visit constitutes an additional milestone in the deepening of bilateral economic relations and commercial cooperation.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, at the start of the meeting:
"There's been a tremendous increase in Japanese investments in Israel. In the last few years the growth of Japanese investments in Israel has been 120 times. Last time I spoke it was 44 times. It grows in astronomic rate. Actually, five billion dollars today but it is growing very rapidly.
Our relationship is a natural one. Prime Minister Abe and I agreed that we have to upgrade the economic relations and this visit is part of that. I welcome you and your colleagues. We want to see more trade, more tourism, more investments in both directions. Welcome to Israel."