Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Taro Kono has concluded his one-day official visit to the Maldives.
The Minister, who arrived on Saturday morning, departed the same evening as the Maldives and Japan celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
During his visit, Kono paid a courtesy call on the President Abdulla Yameen and held bilateral talks with his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Asim.
This was the first visit to Maldives by a Japanese Foreign Minister.
Call on President Yameen
President Abdulla Yameen has requested Japan’s support for Maldives’ inaugural candidacy to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member, for the term 2019-2020.
He made the requested during Japanese Foreign Minister’s call on Saturday evening, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to ‘continue working together both bilaterally as well as in regional and international matters of common interest to enhance the existing ties of friendship and cooperation between the Maldives and Japan’.
During the call, the President expressed his appreciation for Japan as ‘a pioneering development partner’ of the Maldives, adding that its Official Development Assistance (ODA) Programme has contributed ‘immensely’ to the country’s ‘socioeconomic development’.
He further highlighted ‘the short-term training opportunities and the exchange programmes for human resource development offered by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the ISDBT project for disaster prevention and E-learning,’ with Minister Kono noting that the ISDBT project ‘will bring new opportunities to the Maldives for progress in today’s globalized world’.
“The talks then focused on identifying potential areas of mutually beneficial investment opportunities for Japanese businesses in the Maldives,” said the President’s Office, adding that ‘both sides expressed hope to enhance and maintain tourism cooperation’. It noted that Japan is currently the third largest source market for tourists in Asia.
“The President further requested Japan’s support for Maldives’ inaugural candidacy to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member, for the term 2019-2020,” added the Office.
Both parties also spoke on environmental challenges, with President Yameen highlighting that climate change is till ‘a critical issue’ in Maldives, and expressed appreciation for Japan’s role ‘role in tackling climate change globally,’ assuring the Minister that the Maldives ‘will continue to work closely with Japan to gradually shift towards renewable and alternative sources of energy’.
The Japanese Minister assured President Yameen that Japan will continue to offer ‘expertise on the latest technology’ to help with issue.
Minister Kono also thanked the President ‘for the support extended from the Maldives for Japan’s initiative to promote security and maritime safety’ and spoke on joining efforts to establish ‘a solid counter-terrorism mechanism’ to ensure maximum safety and security for the Tokyo Olympic Games, which is to be held in 2020. He also expressed Japan’s interest ‘to provide promotional sports assistance ahead of the Games and organize cultural exchange programmes between Japan and the Maldives’.
He further requested the Maldives’ support for Osaka’s bid to hold the World Expo 2025, with President agreeing ‘to give due consideration’.
Bilateral talks between Japan and Maldives
Foreign Minister Dr. Mohamed Asim held bilateral talks with Japanese Minister Kono on Saturday morning.
During the meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this morning, Minister Asim and Minister Kono ‘reviewed the program of cooperation between the two countries,’ agreeing to work together ‘to further strengthen and enhance the cordial relations between the two countries’.
They decided to convene an annual “Policy Dialogue” between the two countries aimed at transforming the relationship to a more mutually beneficial strategic partnership; this dialogue is to cover ‘political, economic and technical cooperation as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest’.
Noting that Japan ‘is one of the biggest bilateral development partners’ of the Maldives, Asim also thanked the government and people of Japan ‘for the invaluable support and cooperation extended towards the socio-economic development of the Maldives’.
“Both Ministers also discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest, including climate change, terrorism and the situation in the Korean Peninsula,” said the Ministry.
