Rwanda, Japan celebrate bilateral ties

Japanese embassy on Tuesday marked a half century of diplomatic relations with Rwanda which was punctuated by a drum concert held in Kigali.The event was spiced up by a thrilling performance from a professional music group from Tokyo, led by Shuichi Hindano, a famous Japanese drummer.Speaking at the ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Rwanda, Kunio Hatanaka, said that for the last 50 years, Japan and Rwanda have enjoyed strong and friendly bilateral ties.“The development of our way bilateral relations can be traced back in 1965, when Mr. Masaya Hattori from the Bank of Japan was sent to Rwanda as the second Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda,” he said.“Starting from making negotiations successful on the first programme with the International Monetary Fund, Hattori contributed very much to the establishment of Rwanda’s financial system.”Hatanaka stated that since the opening of the Japanese Embassy in Rwanda in January 2010, the mission has been expanding its activities, among others, to the areas of economic cooperation and cultural exchange.“The embassy will continue to support Rwanda’s efforts towards achieving Vision 2020, and to foster mutual understanding through our two countries’ economic, political and cultural cooperation,” the Japanese envoy noted.Japan currently supports Rwanda in areas of infrastructural and education development, cultural exchange, poverty eradication, resettlement of refugees among others.Last year, in March, when the Asian economic giant was hit by a devastating tsunami, Rwanda was among the first countries to extend heartfelt condolences to Japan.The Minister of Sports and Culture, Protais Mitali, hailed Japan for its continuous support to the development of Rwanda.“Rwanda and Japan have remained strong and vibrant despite the considerable geographical distance that separates the two countries,” he said.The ceremony drew government officials, as well as members of the diplomatic and the business community, among others.