(L-R) Tadahiro Matsubara, Ambassador of Japan to Luxembourg; Carlo Thelen, Director General of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce;
Credit: Jazmin Campbell / Chronicle.lu
On Tuesday 4 June 2024, the Embassy of Japan in Luxembourg held a reception in honour of the delegation participating in an upcoming Luxembourgish trade mission to Japan.
From Monday 10 to Friday 14 June 2024, the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, the Luxembourg Embassy in Tokyo, the Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office - Tokyo, Luxinnovation and the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), is organising an official trade mission to Tokyo and Tsukuba in Japan. Headed by Prince Guillaume, the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the mission is being led by Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, the Minister of the Economy, Lex Delles, and the Director General of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, Carlo Thelen. The focus is on space, healthtech, cybersecurity and the AI/ICT sectors.
The pre-mission reception kicked off on Tuesday afternoon with opening remarks by Tadahiro Matsubara, Ambassador of Japan to Luxembourg, followed by those of Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce Director General Carlo Thelen.
Ambassador Tadahiro Matsubara said it was an honour to have Prince Guillaume head the upcoming trade mission, and for Ministers Bettel and Delles as well as Mr Thelen to lead the mission. He also praised the involvement of government ministries and institutions. The ambassador expressed confidence that this mission would "lead to concrete cooperation and discussion" as Luxembourg and Japan continue to strengthen their relationship. He emphasised that the World Expo 2025 in Osaka will also be an occasion to strengthen economic exchanges. This constitutes a "concrete step" as the two countries prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2027.
Carlo Thelen similarly described the trade mission as a "significant milestone" in Luxembourg-Japan relations. He noted that the two countries "share a rich history" based on collaboration, trust and their vision for innovation and progress. He expressed his gratitude to the Japanese Embassy, Ambassador Tadahiro Matsubara and various partners for helping to prepare for this four-day mission, which brings together some nine institutions, 25 companies and 50 delegates.
On the agenda are company and institutional visits, a business forum, networking sessions and B2B meetings, allowing the two sides to explore potential new areas of cooperation, for the benefit of both countries. Mr Thelen added that similar missions are planned for next year when Japan hosts the World Expo. He invited attendees of the reception to raise their glass to the "spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship" shared by Luxembourg and Japan.
The event continued with networking over Japanese delicacies (freshly prepared by the Embassy chef) and drinks (including sake).
Among those present were the delegates headed to Japan next week (representatives of the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC), LSA, Microsoft, to name but a few) and representatives of Japanese companies present in Luxembourg, as well as media representatives.
Speaking to Chronicle.lu at the reception, Marcela Marinovic, Senior Product Manager at EmailTree AI, said: "As this is my first time in Japan, I am incredibly excited about the upcoming trade mission. Representing EmailTree AI, I look forward to exploring potential collaborations and business opportunities in Japan's dynamic market. We aim to connect with key AI, cybersecurity and ICT players to drive innovation and collaboration." She described EmailTreeAI as "a leading AI-powered email automation platform that helps businesses save time and increase productivity".
As noted by the Japanese Embassy, the delegation will be taking part in the first large-scale trade mission from Luxembourg to Japan in seven years - the first since the economic mission with Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg during his state visit to Japan in 2017.
