– as new Ambassador accredited
THE Guyana Government highly values the tangible contributions of the Government of Japan to the country’s national development process and is looking to an enhanced programme of cooperation and the further strengthening of relations between the two countries with the accreditation of the new Japanese Ambassador Yoshimasa Texika. The new non-resident Ambassador presented his letters of Credence to President, Donald Ramotar yesterday at the Office of the President in the company of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and Director General in the Ministry, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper among other officials.
Guyana’s efforts at adaptation and mitigation in the fight against climate change have been augmented with the Japanese Government playing a supporting role in the fortification of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC).
The support of the Japanese is based on a US$6.7M Joint Declaration on Enhanced Co-operation in Environment and Climate Change issues that were made between the two countries after former President Bharrat Jagdeo and then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met in 2007.
The accord has led to several visits by Japanese engineering experts who have assessed and proposed the application of technological innovation to the effort of strengthening the EDWC.
The commissioning of a $1.6B Water Treatment Plant at Queenstown, Corriverton, Berbice Region 6, two years ago is also an outcome of the Joint Declaration on Enhanced Co-operation in Environment and Climate Change issues.
The Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) is one of the key agencies through which the cooperation programmes is being realised.
President Ramotar expressed the Guyana Government’s appreciation of the support in this regard while speaking on the occasion of the newly accredited Japanese Ambassador to Guyana.
In his remarks, Ambassador Texika spoke of the reciprocal role the Guyana Government has played in supporting the Government of Japan, making reference to cooperation in the international arena.
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), he also conveyed on behalf of the Government and people of Japan, the gratitude to Guyana for the donations and best wishes during the devastating earthquake that struck East Japan last year.
He reported that since the incident, the island is still on the road to recovery and was given the assurance by President Ramotar that there is a strong resolve to overcome the misfortune.
“Although we are well aware that the pain of that event will be in the memory of the Japanese people and indeed the people of the world for some time to come, we are conscious that the efforts towards overcoming this tragedy are buoyed by a spirit of resolve and patriotism,” President Ramotar said.
Since the devastating earthquake, the Head of State said Japan’s road to recovery has been closely followed by the Guyana Government.