Your Excellency Mitsuhiko Okada, Ambassador of Japan, and Mrs. Mari Okada;
The Honourable the Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Ivor Archie, and Mrs. Archie;
Distinguished Ministers of Government and Members of the House of Representatives and of the Senate;
Heads of Mission and Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Members of Staff of the Embassy of Japan;
Specially invited guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Your Excellency, Ambassador Okada,
I wish to thank you for your hospitality this evening and commend this initiative of the Embassy of Japan. Although you have recently arrived in Trinidad and Tobago, you may have already recognized that our twin-island Republic is a beautiful Caribbean island, home to a diverse society whose fabric is woven against a rich historical and cultural background. I am confident that both you and Mrs. Okada will enjoy your stay here thoroughly.
While formal diplomatic relations between Trinidad and Tobago and Japan were initiated in 1964, the establishment of an Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago in 1975 and the subsequent appointment of an Ambassador led to a closer relationship between our two nations. Several decades later, the friendship between Trinidad and Tobago and Japan continues to redound to the mutual benefit of our countries and very importantly, to our citizens.
Indeed, bilateral cooperation has been pursued in areas such as education and vocational training, health, small and micro-enterprise development, trade, telecommunications, and disaster management and mitigation. Initiatives in these areas have had a positive and tangible impact on Trinidad and Tobago’s economic and social development.
Excellency, during the tenure of your predecessor, the interaction between Trinidad and Tobago and Japan blossomed at all levels of engagement. Permit me to reflect on some of them:
· The Project for Promotion of Greenhouse Farming at Primary and Secondary Schools in Trinidad, launched on March 23, 2012;
· The visit to Trinidad and Tobago by three Japan Maritime Self Defence Force Training Vessels in July, 2014;
· The Trinidad and Tobago-Japan Summit and the First CARICOM-Japan Summit in Port-of-Spain on July 27, 2014 and July 28, 2014, respectively, which was an occasion of particular significance as it marked the first visit of a Prime Minister of Japan to the English-speaking Caribbean; and
· The signing of the Project Agreement for the Establishment of a Natural Gas to Petrochemicals Complex for the Production of Methanol and Dimethyl Ether (DME) on April 10, 2015.
Ambassador, in light of what we have achieved thus far, the Government and People of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago look forward to building a closer connection between our two countries during your tenure.
In closing, Ambassador, while you may have a heavy workload, I encourage you and your family to explore all that Trinidad and Tobago has to offer. I understand that you have a penchant for architecture and, as such, may be interested in our various colonial and Renaissance-style buildings that form part of Trinidad and Tobago’s historical past. In addition, visits to the Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust and the Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge in Trinidad and the Main Ridge Forest Reserve in Tobago would provide excellent opportunities to experience the variety of flora and fauna that are indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago.
I thank you.
