VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Ambassador of Japan to Seychelles, Makoto Sakuta, hosted a reception at the Savoy Resort and Spa yesterday evening to celebrate the 65th birthday of His Majesty the 126th Emperor of Japan, Emperor Naruhito, observed as a national holiday in Japan on 23 February.
In his remarks, Ambassador Sakuta said that maritime security is a crucial area of cooperation, with Japan actively supporting the maritime law enforcement efforts of Seychelles. He announced that Japan is currently assisting the Marine Police with constructing its new headquarters and supplying a patrol boat, and that Japan is also contributing through UNODC to strengthen maritime security measures across the West Indian Ocean and Eastern Africa. This year, Japan is extending further support through two additional UNODC-funded projects in Somalia, Djibouti and Seychelles to improve maintenance capacity for patrol boats and their engines. He also noted that Japan, inspired by Seychelles, will contribute to the FAO to support an innovative project collecting discarded fishing nets for recycling into new nets.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Sylvestre Radegonde, speaking on behalf of President Wavel Ramkalawan, expressed warm wishes and good health towards both the Emperor and Her Majesty Empress Masako. He said Seychelles supports Japan’s advocacy for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, noting that ‘over the past 49 years, the support of Japan has been instrumental in developing Seychelles’ fisheries industry’. The ambassador also noted that over 120 years ago, Japanese photographer Ohasi Samuel Shingow captured images of Seychelles, and on 23 May this year, a symposium at the National Museum of History will celebrate his legacy. The Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) is scheduled for August.
