From my early childhood, I remember reading mysterious stories from the Land of the Rising Sun, but I visited Japan for the first time in 1993, followed by subsequent short visits. In August 2017, I had the honor to present my credentials as ambassador of Slovakia to His Majesty Emperor Akihito.

I don’t think I have only one motto in my life. In general, I have been influenced by the Eastern philosophical traditions and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi based on the principles of nonviolence, tolerance and compassion to reach inner strength, willpower, wisdom and happiness.

After the Velvet Divorce with the Czechs in 1993, we established the separate Foreign Ministry of Slovakia in what has been a unique process and experience. My dream came true in 2004 when Slovakia joined the European Union. Now, in 2018, 25 years after the establishment of our independent institutions, Slovakia is a successful, predictable and reliable country integrated in European and international structures and organizations. Slovakia’s economy continues to perform extremely well.

I would like to contribute to the intensive bilateral political dialogue in a year of the 25th anniversary of establishing of diplomatic relations. My main priority will be to create an environment for wider economic and trade cooperation and promote Slovakia as an attractive investment destination. Another important goal is rich cultural interaction between our countries, including tourism and people-to-people exchanges through the working holiday program.

As a newcomer I have only one piece of advice — enjoy your stay in Japan! Life in Tokyo is very intensive, sophisticated and simple at the same time. For me and my wife, it is definitely an enriching experience. Tokyo is one of the most livable and attractive cities in the world; very safe with excellent infrastructure, polite and helpful people and superb restaurants. Japan is a unique mix of ancient culture and traditions with modernity, advanced technology and innovations. It is important to be patient, learn some basic Japanese and travel to various regions of Japan as much as possible.