The new ambassador of the Slovak Republic hopes that Japan will help his country shift from a centrally planned socialist economy to a democratic, market-oriented industrial economy.
Mikulas Sedlak on Friday praised the first yen-denominated loan to Slovakia agreed upon recently as Sedlak part of Japan's efforts to support his country's industrialization.
Only a few days after he presented his credentials to the Emperor, Sedlak signed an agreement with the governmental Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund for a 11.09 billion yen loan. The loan will be used to finance highway expansion.