Mr. Fumio Awai, the new Japanese Ambassador to Cairo, said that Japan and Egypt have long cherished friendship that spans more than 160 years since a Samurai delegation visited Egypt in 1864.
He added:"Our bilateral relations were elevated to “Strategic Partnership” in 2023 and we saw many high-level visits over the last year. In August, His Excellency Foreign Minister Abdelatty visited Japan, and in December, State Minister Fujii came to Cairo. Moreover, we invited Her Excellency Dr. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, to Japan in December. Also, last week, His Excellency Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education was visiting Japan."
Excellencies, and distinguished guests.
Last year, we celebrated 4 anniversaries, namely 70th for development cooperation, 50th for Japanese Language and Literature Department at Cairo University, 40th for JSPS (Japan Society for Promoting Science) Cairo Research Station, 30th for KUSANONE, Grassroots Grant program.
This year marks 30th anniversary of the Japan Foundation Cairo and 60th anniversary of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Our first development cooperation with Egypt began in 1954 in just 2 years of the Japan’s recovery of its full recovery. One Egyptian expert was invited to Japan for agricultural technical training. Since then, we have contributed to Egypt’s economic growth over 70 years through numerous projects such as Suez Canal Expansion in 1970s, Cairo University Pediatric Hospital, known as the Japanese Hospital, and Cairo Opera House in 1980s, “Peace Bridge” over the Suez Canal in 1990s. We are pleased to see these projects enriching lives of the people in Egypt. Today, we eagerly anticipate the grand opening of Grand Egyptian Museum.
Our collaboration extends far beyond physical infrastructure. The influence of Japanese expertise and knowledge is deeply embedded in Egyptian society. A prime example of such cooperation is human resources development. With abundant and expanding youth population, education serves as a cornerstone for shaping the future of Egypt. Recognizing its pivotal role, Japan’s cooperation in this sector spans the entire academic spectrum—from early childhood education, Egypt-Japan Elementary Schools (EJS) to postgraduate studies in Egypt-Japan University of Technology and Science (E-JUST) in the joint bilateral framework of Egypt-Japan Education Partnership (EJEP).
When it comes to the health care sector, under the principle of “leaving no one’s health behind,” Japan places importance on developing human resources that engage in Universal Health Coverage, ensuring all Egyptian across the country have access to medical care they need.
Follow the latest news on Google News
