The Embassy of Japan yesterday evening celebrated 60 years of its Cooperation with Rwanda, and it was also an occasion to celebrate the 62 th Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. At that occasion, Ambassador of Japan, Hon. Imai Masahiro, delivered the following speech:
It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to my residence today and to thank you for your attendance.
I would especially like to thank Hon. Minister Dr. Uzziel NDAGIJIMANA for honoring our invitation today.
The last time we met at our reception held in 2020 due to the reasons you all know. While the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us, we are very grateful that things have started easing up here in Rwanda for all of us to be able to gather like this once again.
This year is an eventful year for us as we celebrate the 60 th anniversary of friendship between Japan and Rwanda. Our relations started back in 1962 at the dawn of Rwanda’s independence.
Since then, people-to-people exchange has flourished over the years and our bilateral support and business partnership have gradually deepened. President Kagame has visited Japan six times and has contributed to the TICAD process over the years.
On Japan side, several officials have also visited Rwanda including political figures like Mr. Toshimitsu MOTEGI former Minister of Foreign Affairs. He visited Rwanda back in August 2018 while he was Minister in charge of economic revitalization.
In May 2016, the city of Kobe and Kigali city signed a Declaration of Partnership to further economic exchange between the two cities. The Declaration aims to create an innovation ecosystem with IT at its core, and includes mutual cooperation in the fields of business, technology and the public sector. On the same note, Hachimantai city has had good relations with Rwanda in the area of floriculture as you can see its tangible result on the tables around you.
Hachimantai was the host city for the Rwandan Olympic athletes at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
By taking advantage of Rwanda’s pleasant climate and geography, some Japanese companies produce agriculture products and export them to the American and European markets, which contributes to the Rwandan economy, and I have been told that some of these products are quite popular. This started in small volume but it has been steadily increasing in quantity & quality over the last several years.
Honorable Minister,
Japan contributes to sustainable growth, poverty reduction and job creation in Rwanda through supporting “Economic Infrastructure Development”, “Agricultural Development”, “Social Service Improvement” and “Human Resources Development for Sustainable Growth and Job Creation”. Through those collaborations both Governments and people work together and learn from each other.
Furthermore, we still remember that we received warm messages and financial support from the Government and the people of Rwanda during the Japan Great Earthquake in 2011.
Before I arrived here 2 years and 3 months ago, I received an order from the then PM Shinzo Abe to boost up Rwanda-Japan economic cooperation. My journey is still halfway through to that goal, and I intend to do my best to produce tangible results in this commemorative year of the 60 th anniversary of Friendship and of holding the TICAD 8 in Africa. In my understanding Japan’s technology, discipline and ethics as well as finance are what Rwanda wants to introduce and invite from Japan. I will work to build mutually supportive economic cooperation and win-win bilateral relation, which makes our two countries enjoy the fruits of our efforts and mutual benefits.
We have a saying in Japanese, “Sanpo Yoshi”, which shows a business philosophy; meaning a triple-win for the buyer, the seller, and society. As it applies exactly the same with diplomacy, let’s put our efforts together to realize a triple-win for Japan, Rwanda and the world. I believe that if we work together on our mutual trust which has been nurtured through a lot of exchanges and collaborations in various levels in the past 60 years, we can make a big difference.
Tonight, I invite you to enjoy the well-known Japanese cuisine which was registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. Thank you all for being here tonight, I wish you a wonderful evening. (End)