On 19 May, during his working visit to Tokyo, President Edgars Rinkēvičs was received in audience by His Majesty Emperor Naruhito of Japan. President Rinkēvičs also held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba. The discussions focused on the bilateral cooperation between Latvia and Japan, particularly in the fields of politics, security, and defence, as well as trade and economic security. “Latvia and Japan share a long history of friendship dating back to the early days of Latvian statehood. Japan is one of our closest partners in the Indo-Pacific region. At a time when security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific is increasingly interconnected, it is more important than ever to strengthen ties with trusted, like-minded…