Serbian President Boris Tadic conferred with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Tadic and Kan discussed Serbia's EU integration process and Japan's support in this respect, and after the meeting they signed a joint statement according to which Tokyo offers full support to Serbia's EU integration efforts, and Serbia backs Japan's seek for nonpermanent UN Security Council seat for 2016, Kyodo news agency reported.

Tadic and Kan discussed the possibilities of promotion of economic cooperation, and agreed that Serbia's investment climate may be improved by foreign investments. One of the topics of the talks was visa liberalization for the citizens of the two countries.

Tadic previously opened a Serbia-Tokyo Business Forum in Tokyo on Tuesday, at which he called on the Japanese companies to invest in Serbia, pointing out that Serbia is a democratic and politically stable country.

Serbian President Boris Tadic called on the Japanese companies to invest in Serbia, pointing out that Serbia is a democratic and politically stable country.

At the forum, which was attended by about 70 Japanese businessmen, Tadic stressed that the Japanese companies are welcome in Serbia and that numerous Serbian companies are interested in importing products and equipment from Japan.

The production and export potential of Serbia's economy and the absorption power of the Japanese market offer far greater possibilities than what is being realized now, as Japan has so far invested about USD 160 million, which is still much less than the two countries' real capacities, Tadic pointed out.

He said that Serbia is now a modern, politically stable, European democratic country.

Tadic presented the Japanese businessmen with the fact that Serbia has free trade agreements with the EU, CEFTA countries, Belarus, Russia and Turkey, which is a market of over 800 million people.

This means that it is possible to produce goods in Serbia and sell them from London to Vladivostok, he underscored.

Tadic particularly emphasized the possibilities of investing in the electric power plant in Obrenovac, as well as in the environment protection, adding that Serbia has an extraordinary potential in biomass energy production.

Tadic met with Japan Bank for International Cooperation President and CEO Hiroshi Watanabe, Japan Tobacco International Senior Vice-President Ryoji Chijiiwa and Mitsubishi Corporation Executive Vice President Hideto Nakahara.

Companies like Toshiba, Shimizu, Japan Machinery Federation, Japan institute for foreign investments and others took part in the forum.

Serbia was also represented by Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic.

Emperor of Japan receives President Tadic

Emperor of Japan Akihito received at the Tokyo Imperial Palace Wednesday Serbian President Boris Tadic, with whom he held a 40-minute meeting.

After the meeting, Emperor Akihito organized a lunch for the Serbian president, which was also attended by Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic.

Tadic's visit to Japan and the reception by the Emperor of Japan are the first in the history of the two countries' relations.

Tadic also held a 30-minute meeting with President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Sadako Ogata on Wednesday morning.

During the day, Tadic will give an interview for the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun, and he has already been interviewed by the national television network NHK.

The Serbian delegation is also to visit the ancient city of Kyoto, where they will end their visit to Japan on Thursday.