at the 5th General Assembly of the Japan Ethiopia Alumni Society (JEAS) at the Ambassador’s Residence on 8 June, 2013

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  Welcome to my Residence.  It is a great pleasure for me to host the Fifth General Assembly of the Japan Ethiopia Alumni Society (JEAS) today.

Since our previous meeting in August last year, there have been a number of positive developments in Japan-Ethiopia relations.  Therefore, let me first update our knowledge of what has been taking place between our two countries.

Overall, the friendly and cooperative relationship between our two countries remains as strong as ever today.  Indeed, our bilateral ties have been strengthened in various fields for the past one year.

Firstly, mutual visits by dignitaries to our respective countries have continued, and policy dialogues between our two governments have been enhanced.  On the margins of the AU Assembly meetings last July, and in January this year, we had bilateral talks between our Parliamentary Senior Foreign Vice-Minister and the Ethiopian Foreign Minister.  The TICAD Ministerial Preparatory Meeting was held here in Addis in March this year, and our two Foreign Ministers co-chaired the meeting, in addition to having a bilateral meeting.  Most recently, Prime Minister Ato Hailemariam visited Yokohama to attend TICADV.  He not only had a bilateral meeting with our Prime Minister but also spoke at various events.

Secondly, regarding ODA, some positive developments have been observed.  Last year we revised our ODA policy to Ethiopia to align it with the GTP, placing particular emphasis on food security and industrial development.  Infrastructure development and human resource development are also priority areas in our new policy.

It is also remarkable that, for the first time, our ODA to Ethiopia reached 10 billion yen (125 million USD) in the JFY2011, a jump from 6.8 billion yen (78 million USD) in the previous fiscal year.  Our policy dialogue with Ethiopia for industrial development, now in the fifth year, is in progress, focusing on export promotion and foreign direct investment.  The next policy dialogue will be held around the end of July.  Our kaizen initiatives, also in their fifth year, have been scaled up, involving various regions, to facilitate Ethiopian efforts for industrialization.  These programs, together with our science and math education program for secondary education, are Japan’s unique contribution in Ethiopia as we share our knowledge and experience with Ethiopian counterparts for their capacity-building.  There is one more program worth mentioning.  In December last year, we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) Program in Ethiopia, which dates back to 1972.  Nearly 600 Japanese volunteers have been dispatched to Ethiopia to date.

Thirdly, regarding our bilateral business relations, they are not yet as strong as expected, to be honest with you. However, business exchanges are gradually picking up.  Our bilateral trade increased by one and a half times during the past one year, to 15 billion yen (about 187 million USD) in 2012.  The number of inquiries our Embassy receives from business representatives has been increasing.  Indeed, one Japanese company is now preparing to launch a factory in Addis Ababa to manufacture leather products for export.  On the margins of TICADV, various business-oriented side events were held such as the Ethiopia Business Seminar at JETRO.  At the African Fair a number of booths from African countries showcased their respective champion products, including Ethiopia.  Many individual business talks were held there as well.  Indeed, TICADV provided a good opportunity for business promotion.

Our interactions have not been limited to government and business.  There have been broad exchanges on the grassroots level as well.  For the past one year, our Embassy presented a series of Japanese cultural events in Ethiopia, starting from kendo and karate demonstrations, the Japanese Film Festival, the Ikebana workshop and demonstration, the Fourth Japan Festival, the celebration of the renewal of the Japanese Garden at the National Palace, and most recently, the long waited Design Exhibition.

This is where we stand now.  For the coming year, we plan more, and I am looking forward to working with you at JEAS.  Thank you for your attention.