December 2016 79 www.bahrainthismonth.com Japan and Bahrain enjoy close ties with many high-profile visits between the two nations. You’ve previously mentioned following up on agreements made by top-level officials, what are these and how is the embassy helping to push for their implementation? Japan and Bahrain have deeply-rooted bilateral relations. Their relationship has been deepened through VIP visits. As a result, we have a concrete direction of cooperation in various fields, including political, security, economic, trade, investment, education and culture. For example, with regard to political aspects, JapanBahrain Comprehensive Security Dialogue and policy consultations between the two countries’ Ministries of Foreign Affairs are held regularly. Commercially, based on the MoU between the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan and Ministry of Health in Bahrain, signed in August of 2013, bilateral medical cooperation is proceeding. For example, in February, Bahraini officials participated in a medical equipment regulation seminar in Japan, and now both sides are discussing the dispatch of Japanese experts to the medical sector in Bahrain, in line with the Kingdom’s national strategy of the Visiting Doctors Programme. Furthermore, in January we also realised the first project named ‘Kaizen seminar’ [which means improvement of business management and productivity] with Tamkeen in accordance with a scheme of cost sharing technical cooperation in collaboration with JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). The Ministry of Defence of Japan and the Bahrain Defence Force signed a Memorandum on Defence Exchange during the visit by His Majesty King Hamad to Japan in April, 2012. The two countries have had many exchanges in this field such as a visit by officials of Japan’s Self Defence Forces to Bahrain, Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force’s participation in the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise and BDF officers’ participation in a short-term exchange programme for naval officers in Japan. We are also considering sending high-level delegations to Bahrain to attend the Manama Dialogue and exchange our thoughts and strategy, however no decision has been made yet in this regard. What do you see as the future of Bahrain-Japanese relations? I hope the mutual understanding between Japan and Bahrain and developing bilateral relations will be deepened and enhanced more, and I would be very glad if I could support it. Regarding the cultural aspect, every year the Embassy of Japan offers the SWY (Ship for World Youth), Japan Scholarship and a Japanese Language Program. The embassy also promotes a people-to-people exchange to increase understanding of Japanese culture. In the commercial aspect, historically the first economic relations began in 1934 when Bahrain shipped its first export of oil to Japan. I always respect this milestone and have confidence that both countries will be able to develop their economic partnership by increasing Japanese investment in Bahrain or vice versa. To facilitate these economic relations, we, as the Embassy of Japan, keep supporting these activities. Bahrain is a geopolitically important place between Asia, Europe and Africa so it is facing challenges in both the security situation in the Middle East and worldwide economic trends. However, I know Bahrain is a good environment to live in and do business and socialise with people, so I would like my work to be focused on deepening and expanding our friendly relations between Japan and Bahrain.
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