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On January 27, a delegation led by Barbara Prammer, President of the Austrian National Council, paid a courtesy call on DPJ Supreme Adviser Tsutomu Hata.
Hata warmly welcomed President Prammer, paying her first visit to Japan, and the representatives accompanying her on the delegation, which had been dispatched to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Austria. Tetsundo Iwakuni, Director-General of the International Department added, “We have really been looking forward to meeting with you. We appreciate your taking the time out of your busy schedule for this visit, and are hoping to hear your frank opinions.”
Prammer expressed her willingness to engage in an unreserved exchange of opinions and, after referring to Austria’s twenty-year history of bipartisan cooperation, asked questions regarding the DPJ’s main policies and the likely date of the general election, to which Iwakuni and Vice Director-General of the International Department Masamitsu Naito responded. The two sides also discussed the bureaucratic and electoral systems operated in their respective countries and reaffirmed their commitment to further develop friendly relations.
The meeting was also attended by DPJ members of the House of Representatives Shuji Kira and Hiroshi Ogushi, and members of the House of Councillors Shin-kun Haku, Yuichiro Hata, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Tsutomu Okubo, Mitsuyoshi Yanagisawa, Harunobu Yonenaga, and Koshin Fujitani.
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