A delegation of Japanese firms operating in Italy is to visit Malta to explore business opportunities on Thursday and Friday.

Led by the Japanese Ambassador in Rome, the participants will be given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the Maltese market, meet local institutions and a number of enterprises.

The delegates will be seeking to identify what Malta represents in the Mediterranean and the possibility of using the country as a gateway to other markets.

Organised by Malta Enterprise with the support of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Italy and the Japan External Trade Organisation office in Milan, their visit will also seek to create a network for future bilateral collaborations.

Diplomatic relations between Malta and Japan were established in 1965. Last year, Maltese imports from Japan amounted to €40.1 million, comprising mostly commodities and engineering such as ships, vehicles and rubber-based products; the value of exports to the Asian country stood at €58.2 million, mostly through were semiconductors and IT-related parts.

The latest Japanese investment in Malta was made by Konica Minolta, which set up a service office here.