President of the Czech Senate Vystrčil visits EXPO 2025 site in Osaka and goes on a tour of Czech National Pavilion
The President of the Czech Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, has arrived in Japan for an official visit from February 9 to 13 at the invitation of the Japanese Senate President. On his first day in Osaka, Vystrčil inaugurated a business forum, where he also met with representatives of business organizations from the Kansai region. Together with Ondřej Soška, General Commissioner for the Czech participation in EXPO 2025, Vystrčil toured two EXPO sites—the 1970 EXPO Commemorative Park and the construction site for the upcoming 2025 EXPO. He also met with the governor of Osaka Prefecture, Hirofumi Yoshimura.
"I have a very good feeling about the Czech pavilion. It is tall and highly visible, made of wood, which is absolutely unique—we might be the only wooden structure here. I am especially happy that it is a collaborative effort between Czechs and Japanese, as both Czech and Japanese builders worked on it," said Senate President Vystrčil during the visit. He added: "This pavilion also follows in the footsteps of the one from 1970, which was very popular for its Czech glass. Once again, this pavilion is entirely covered in Czech glass, a typical Czech product that we distribute worldwide because of our exceptional glassmaking tradition."
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The EXPO '70 Commemorative Park is located in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. It was established in 1972 on the site of the 1970 World Exposition, which attracted over 64 million visitors. The 2025 World Expo will take place in Osaka from April 13 to October 13 on the artificial island of Yumeshima, with organizers expecting up to 30 million visitors. The goal of the event is to showcase innovative solutions and technologies that contribute to sustainable development and improved quality of life.
As part of his political engagements in Osaka, Vystrčil met with Governor Yoshimura. Their discussions covered Czech-Japanese trade cooperation, Japan’s preparations for EXPO 2025, as well as geopolitical threats and support for Ukraine.
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Vystrčil also inaugurated the Czech-Japanese Business Forum in Osaka: "I am convinced that our cooperation can be highly productive and that we complement each other very well. Japanese precision, perfectionism, and attention to detail combined with Czech creativity, adaptability, and the ability to innovate—that is exactly what connects us and can lead to great success in our collaboration."
The business forum focused on Czech participation in EXPO 2025 and its commercial opportunities for Czech and Japanese companies. Vystrčil met with representatives of business organizations, including Japan’s Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry (working under the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry), the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Kansai Economic Federation, and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
At the end of the day, the Senate delegation attended a working dinner with representatives of the Japan-Czech Friendship Society in Kansai, which supports cultural exchange between the Czech Republic and Japan, particularly in Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. In recognition of their efforts in fostering intercultural dialogue, Vystrčil awarded them the Senate President’s Silver Medal.
Accompanying Vystrčil on this trip are the heads of Czech Senate groups: Zdeněk Nytra (ODS and TOP 09), Jan Sobotka (STAN), Josef Klement (KDU-ČSL and independents), and Václav Láska (SEN 21 and Pirates). The delegation also includes representatives from the Czech Academy of Sciences, led by its president Eva Zažímalová, and a business delegation organized by the Czech Chamber of Commerce, headed by its vice president Radek Jakubský. The economic mission focuses on Czech companies in the energy sector, creative industries (particularly gaming), ICT (especially cybersecurity), and scientific research. Among its members is Jan Proček, executive director of AtomTrace, a partner in the Czech participation at EXPO 2025.
The article is based on a press release of the Senate of the Czech Republic, copyright: Senate Chancellery.
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