Slovakia wants Japan to establish an embassy in its capital, Bratislava, and scrap visa requirements to enhance bilateral ties, according to Jozef Migas, president of the National Council -- Slovakia's parliament.

Migas, who is currently visiting Japan at the invitation of the Diet, pointed out that Slovakia has an embassy in Tokyo and suggested that the mutual relationship between the two nations should be a "well-balanced" one.

"A Japanese Embassy in Slovakia is one of the necessary prerequisites for that," he said in a recent interview with The Japan Times.

Japan established diplomatic relations with Slovakia in February 1993, after the former Czechoslovakia was peacefully separated into the Czech and Slovak republics in January of that year.

However, Japan's diplomatic activities concerning Slovakia have so far been carried out through the Japanese Embassy in Prague.

While Japan used to require visas for all the former communist states of Eastern Europe, it has gradually been allowing visa-free visits in accordance with their transition to democracy.

Migas said Slovakia's social transition, allied to its progress in talks for entry into the European Union, should constitute favorable conditions for Japan to lift the visa requirement. Slovakia is one of 12 Eastern European countries negotiating to join the EU and hopes to be a full member by January 2004.

Earlier this week, Migas met with Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and discussed the issue of bolstering bilateral ties.

"Slovak people would like to get an education in Japan, they would like to trade with Japan and they want to enjoy mutual tourism," he said.

"But if you want to talk about deepening cooperation between the two countries, the best thing would be that you wouldn't have to go through the obstacle of visa duty," he said.

Regarding economic relations with Japan, Migas called for more Japanese investment in Slovakia. He cited several new measures introduced by the government in Bratislava to attract foreign investment, including the so-called tax holiday system.

Under the system, which is designed to make initial investment easier, new foreign businesses are exempt from paying taxes for several years. "This is the most essential measure," he said, adding that German, French and American businesses are already taking advantage of the system.

Various cities and regions across the country are also creating industrial zones where vital infrastructure is being developed, Migas said.

According to government figures, Japan's exports to Slovakia in calendar 1998 totaled $2.33 million (258.63 million yen), while imports from the Eastern European republic came to $1.88 million (208.68 million yen).

"We would like to see more direct investment of Japanese capital entering into Slovakia," Migas said.