78 December 2016 www.bahrainthismonth.com japansupplement LIZ O’REILLY Japanese Ambassador His Excellency Kiyoshi Asako pays tribute to Bahrain’s friendly people and speaks of strengthening ties. Diplomatically Speaking This is your second time to serve in Bahrain, how do you find life on the island compared with your other postings and your earlier time here? Previously I served as Consul-General in Mumbai, India. Mumbai is one of the biggest cities in India where the population is higher than 12 million people. My assignment was interesting and I loved it but there were some problems such as traffic jams and air pollution. The first impression when I returned to Bahrain was the lack of congestion and a good traffic system, due to the development in infrastructure including building more bridges and highways etc which make driving easier. Compared with 10 years ago, Bahrain has developed significantly. The city view is totally changed with construction of skyscrapers, the well-designed highway and the development of the coastline. But I was impressed to see the unchanged personality of Bahrainis, they are still open-minded and friendly. What have been the challenges you have faced so far in your office and how have you dealt with these? Following recent high-level exchanges between Japan and Bahrain, such as visits by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, I am trying to enhance bilateral relations by people-to-people exchanges, to promote understanding of our culture and support business activities such as investment from Japanese companies. As a result, I believe the presence of Japanese culture, people and companies is increasing in Bahrain. The size of the community is stable and companies such as manufacturing and engineering are increasing instead of financial institutions and trading and investment companies. What is the feeling among the Japanese community here, do they find Bahrain welcoming and an easy place to do business? Japanese residents enjoy life in Bahrain because Bahrainis are broad-minded to other cultures and friendly with foreigners. Also, Bahrain is a safe country to live in. Commercially, I believe Bahrain is one of the most business friendly countries for foreign investors in MENA. Foreign companies can enjoy a tax-free environment and a relatively lower-living cost than other GCC countries, and they are able to establish local subsidiaries with a 100-per-cent stake owned by them. Also, Bahrain is the gateway to Saudi Arabia’s market through the King Fahd Causeway and roughly 9.7 million travellers come from Saudi Arabia side to Bahrain annually. Furthermore, the Economic Development Board (EDB) has been providing necessary support for foreign companies to start business in the Kingdom in coordination with competent authorities. HE Kiyoshi Asako
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