KOBE -- The Swedish Honorary Consulate in Kobe was reopened Friday, with Naoya Wada, president of machinery maker Kinki Industrial Co., appointed as honorary consul.
The honorary consulate, which was first established in 1879, was closed in December 2001 after various duties related to incoming ships at the port city had diminished.
Swedish Ambassador Mikael Lindstrom told reporters the reopening of the consulate shows his government's strong desire to bolster cooperation with businesses in Japan and the Japanese public, especially in the Kansai region.
The consulate will handle affairs in 15 prefectures in western Japan, including the four prefectures in Shikoku, as well as Tottori, Okayama, Fukui and Ishikawa.
"We have joint interests. One area we can cooperate in is the environment and another is how to take care of old people," said Lindstrom, who assumed his post six months ago.
He added that Sweden boasts expertise in information technology and biotechnology -- areas that the Kansai region is also promoting.
Wada, who has enjoyed close ties with the Scandinavian country through his business activities over the past 15 years, said he wants to educate more Japanese people about Sweden and its people.