7.24 The Reception for the Retirement and Inauguration of the President of the Middle East Institute of Japan
- Information
- publication date:2017/07/24
On July 24th, 2017, the Reception for the Retirement and Inauguration of the President of the Middle East Institute of Japan (MEIJ) was held at Hotel Okura. The Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Abe and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Kishida delivered their speeches, despite their busy schedules. Moreover, corporate and individual members of the MEIJ as well as those who take tremendous interest in the region participated in the reception.
In his speech, Prime Minister mentioned that “The countries of the Middle East are indispensable and vital partners for Japan, not only from the perspective of our energy security, but also from the perspective of economic activities, including private investment and technical cooperation, with many Japanese companies expanding into the Middle East. Since the inauguration of my second administration, I have visited the Middle East six times”.
Prime Minister also thanked the former and new presidents of the MEIJ by mentioning that "Actually, before I was even a member of the Diet, I received a lot of guidance from Dr. Arima who is an alum of my high school many years my senior. Dr. Arima has also made a considerable contribution toward peace in the Middle East as a representative of the Government" and “I want to thank former Vice-Minister Saiki for the enormous contribution he made in advancing Abe diplomacy. In working with the Middle East, a region of critical importance for Japan, I have high expectations for Mr. Saiki to demonstrate his abilities that have supported Japan’s diplomacy thus far to elevate the relationship between Japan and the Middle East to a new level”.
Mr. Kishida, the minister for Foreign Affairs stated in his speech that “I wish MEIJ further success in the future”.
Mr. Sasaki, the Chairperson of the MEIJ, gave the opening speech.
This was then followed by a speech by Dr. Arima who is a former President and a current Special Advisor to the MEIJ, and a speech by the new President Mr. Saiki.
In addition, Mr. Ono, a member of the House of Councilors and a Visiting Research Fellow of the MEIJ, addressed the guests, stating that “I appreciate Dr. Arima’s service at the institution and we would like to invite everyone here to become a member.”
The toast was given by Mr. Sugiyama, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Finally, Mr. Kagami, the Vice President of the MEIJ, closed the ceremony with his speech.
This reception highlighted the much-appreciated contribution made by the former President Dr. Arima over the course of years at the MEIJ and introduced the new President Mr. Saiki. Moreover, this event presented its attendees with a perfect opportunity to exchange information and network.
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