YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARTSAKHPRESS. Japanese Ambassador to Armenia Masanori Fukushima considers the strengthening of economic relations, development of cultural exchanges and youth exchange programs to be the most important tasks for further development of the Armenia-Japan relations.
The Ambassador made the remarks during an official reception of the Japanese Embassy dedicated to The Emperor’s Birthday. The event honoring Emperor Naruhito’s 63rd birthday was attended by Cabinet ministers, lawmakers, foreign ambassadors and other officials.
Ambassador Fukushima congratulated the Emperor’s birthday and said that he is greatly honored to host the first reception in three years dedicated to The Emperor’s Birthday in Armenia.
The Ambassador said the year of 2022 was very significant for the Armenia-Japan relations because September 7th marked the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties.
“During this period our countries continually developed bilateral relations thanks to the efforts and cooperation of all sides. The two governments held various events in Japan and Armenia on the occasion of the 30th anniversary. A number of cultural events were held in Japan under the patronage of the embassy of Armenia,” the Ambassador said.
He said that the Japanese embassy will organize a festival of Japanese films in four cities in Armenia in February and March of 2023. A Japanese musician will be invited to perform in Armenia and present koto, the traditional Japanese instrument.
“Since 1991, Japan provided around 430 million dollars in support through grant support, technical assistance and loan programs seeking to contribute to the socio-economic and democratic progress in various sectors of Armenia. For example, in November last year, the Japanese government donated 39 ambulances to the Ministry of Healthcare. Regarding people-to-people exchanges, I’d like to mention renowned Japanese doctor, surgeon, UCLA Professor Dr. Akira Ishiyama’s contribution, who performs many difficult surgeries for Armenian children every year. I am sure that the most important tasks for the further development of bilateral relations are the development of programs for strengthening economic relations, cultural exchanges, as well as youth exchanges. As Japan’s Ambassador to Armenia, I will do everything I can to achieve this,” the Ambassador said.
The Emperor’s Birthday is an annual Public holiday in Japan celebrating the birthday of the reigning Emperor, which is currently 23 February.
Photos by Tatev Duryan
