The purpose of the visit by the Japanese minister was to exchange experience in the implementation of science and technology policy between Croatia and Japan and to promote cooperation in science, education and technology, the Croatian Ministry of Science said in a press release.
Tanahashi said that the Japanese government invested in countries which paid great attention to education and science and that Croatia was certainly among those countries. He showed particular interest in cooperation in areas of science dealing with health food, the environment, mariculture, medicine and genetics.
Primorac acquainted his guest with the Croatian science education system and called on Japanese science institutes to assist in the evaluation of Croatian science and on Japanese scientists and institutions to cooperate with Croatia in genetics.
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and the Japanese minister discussed ways of promoting economic and scientific cooperation between the two countries.
Tanahashi took the opportunity to thank the Croatian government for its support to Japan's bid to win permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.