Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski agreed Thursday to offer mutual visa-free visits as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations, Foreign Ministry officials said.
Starting as early as April, travelers from both countries will be able to make visa-free visits for up to three months, the officials said. Currently, tourists and businesspeople must apply for a visa. Hashimoto and Kwasniewski also agreed to a regular vice foreign ministerial meeting to strengthen political dialogue between the two countries, they said.
On the economic front, Kwasniewski told Hashimoto that Japanese firms lag behind those from other countries, such as the U.S., in terms of making direct investment in Poland, although Japanese investment has been on the increase for the past few years. He stressed to Hashimoto that Poland, which has a population of about 40 million, is an attractive place for foreign investment.