April 4, 2017
The Council of Arab Ambassadors and Heads of Mission in Japan Hosted
Arab Japan Day 2017

The Council of Arab Ambassadors and Heads of Mission in Japan organized the annual event of the Arab Japan Day on Tuesday, April 4 2017. It aimed at deepening the relationship between Japan and the Arab world, especially on the cultural level. It featured an official reception, attended by H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan as an honor guest, and over 500 Japanese, Arab, and foreign dignitaries from all walks of life.

During the reception, on behalf of the Council of Arab Ambassadors and Heads of Mission, H.E. Mr. Abdul Rahman Hamoud Al Otaibi, the Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Japan delivered an opening speech in which he stated that the relationship between Japan and Arab world has witnessed a leap in progress and development as a result of efforts between both sides and their keenness to develop them in various fields.　He also added that by the frequent visits between the leaders and high ranking officials of both sides increased the instances of technical, economic, cultural, scientific, parliamentarian cooperation in addition to the diplomatic collaboration on the international levels. He also commended Japan’s diplomacy on the international level and its constructive initiatives. He also called upon Japan to recognize the State of Palestine, considering that it is an important step towards the peaceful resolution of the Palestinian issue in parallel to supporting international efforts to relaunch the peace negotiations.

In turn, H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, commended the outcome of the latest visits to Japan by several heads of Arab states in addition to the meetings with various heads of Arab states on the sidelines of international conferences. He stated that these meetings witnessed an important exchange of opinions on the ways to develop the relationship between Japan and the Arab world. He added that the Arab and Japanese cultures share many things in common, which have laid the ground for a firm relation between the peoples of both regions, a relation that has a great potential to develop. He also reiterated his keenness on further developing these ties.

The Arab Japan Day also featured a symposium under the theme “Sustainable Energy and Water Security”. It was attended by over 260 dignitaries from academicians, business people, representatives of renowned organizations, cultural scientific think tanks, specialized in energy sectors and Middle East affairs. The symposium touched upon the obstacles that the Arab states are confronting, especially energy and water security, and the ways to benefit from Japan’s technologies and expertise to find solutions for these challenges.