Minister President Armin Laschet of North Rhine-Westphalia, a state located in western Germany, is set to pay a visit to Fukushima Prefecture in January to evaluate the progress being made to implement renewable energy sources and the region's recovery following the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent nuclear power plant disaster in 2011.
North Rhine-Westphalia is interested in Fukushima Prefecture's efforts to use renewable energy following its own endeavors to divest from nuclear and coal energy, according to the prefecture.
Fukushima hopes to strengthen ties by inviting the leader of North Rhine-Westphalia, which boasts the largest economy of all 16 states in Germany, to the prefecture and foster connections through joint projects with universities and cultural exchanges, among other things.