Minister I. Hofmanas meets the new Ambassador of Japan to Lithuania

Minister of Agriculture Ignas Hofmanas met the new Japanese Ambassador to Lithuania, Shinsuke Shimizu. They discussed food exports, promoting cooperation, food security and other issues.

Lithuania-Japan cooperation in the field of agriculture has strengthened in recent years. Exports of beef to Japan began in 2022, and Lithuanian dairy and confectionery products, fish products, organic products, honey and buckwheat have found a place on the Japanese market.

„We are pleased that the list of categories of Lithuanian food products entering the Japanese market is growing. We are proud of the success stories, such as contracts signed with Japanese companies to supply Lithuanian beer, ice cream, mineral water, etc.  Lithuania is famous for its exceptional and health-friendly products, which are developed using advanced technologies and high quality raw materials. As one of the countries with the lowest use of pesticides per hectare, Lithuanian products are an excellent choice and have earned the sympathy and trust of consumers not only in the domestic market, but also on the global market. Today we export our products to 156 countries," the Minister said.

The Ambassador of Japan welcomed Lithuania's commitment to producing high quality agricultural and food products and stressed the importance of the products' reputation.

„Japan is the world's largest importer of food products and its consumers are demanding. Therefore, Lithuania's intention to promote the export of quality products is very much in the right direction. We need to play to our strengths and uniqueness," the Ambassador said.

„Today, more than ever, it is clear that the agricultural sector is key to global food security. We need to take decisive action to increase the resilience of food systems, strengthen international cooperation and maintain open trade in food and agricultural products, especially between partners that share democratic values and the rule of law," said Minister Hofmann.

The President of Lithuania is scheduled to visit Japan in June, at the same time as a business mission to Japan led by Minister of Agriculture I. Hofmanas will take place. During the upcoming visit, Lithuanian entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to meet with Japanese trade representatives and find concrete solutions.