Mr. Adrian-Ioan Veștea, the Minister of Development, Public Works, and Administration, received a visit at the ministry from His Excellency Mr. Hiroshi Ueda, the Ambassador of Japan to Bucharest.

One of the main topics of discussion was the construction of a high-power optics production center to support experimental activities with high-power lasers at ELI-NP in Măgurele.

"The Ministry of Development, through the National Investment Company, is investing over 20 million euros in the construction of the high-power optics facility, and the partnership with Japan will provide this center with the expertise it needs to become a beneficial project for both countries, creating new research and development opportunities in cutting-edge technology," Minister Veștea emphasized.

Bilateral collaboration in the field of seismic risk, considering Japan's extensive experience in effective urban planning regulations, building structure design codes, development management, and urban resilience, was another topic on the agenda of the two officials.

"We aim to draw from the expertise of Japanese specialists regarding the use of the most efficient technologies for seismic reinforcement of buildings, as well as technical procedures that can lead to saving as many lives as possible following disasters," the Minister of Development stated.

In this context, the two officials agreed on the need to organize a Romanian-Japanese conference on the reduction of seismic risk for buildings, addressing both the scientific and professional aspects, as well as the investment level, specifically the involvement of Japanese companies in building trust within Romanian society in government programs for seismic risk reduction and the implementation of actions related to the National Strategy for Seismic Risk Reduction.

To support this effort, since Japan's experience in seismic engineering and seismic risk management is a model to follow, Minister Adrian-Ioan Veștea extended an invitation to Mr. Kenji Satake, Ph.D., Director of the Tokyo Institute for Seismic Research, and Prof. Dr. Ing. Koichi Kusunoki, along with experts from the counterpart ministry responsible for urban planning and construction, to visit Romania for an exchange of experience between seismic engineering and seismology specialists from Romania and Japan.