In Kyoto, Dr Papič also met with the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Nishimura. They highlighted the successful completion of the NEDO smart grid project in Slovenia, and the Japanese Minister expressed his support for new similar forms of cooperation with Slovenia.

The Minister also met with his counterpart Moriyama Masahito. Their talks were aimed at strengthening research, scientific and academic cooperation between Slovenia and Japan. The good cooperation between Slovenia and Japan was highlighted, especially in the field of physics.

During his visit to Fukui, Dr Papič met with the Dean of Fukui University, Mr Takanori Ueda. They highlighted the good cooperation with the University of Ljubljana in the field of robotics and the opportunities for joint research in AI and data science. Dr Papič also met with the Mayor of Fukui, Mr Higashimura. They discussed further deepening the already good relations between the City of Fukui and some Slovenian local communities. These relations will only be strengthened through cooperation at the academic level.