BOTSWANA AND JAPAN CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

The Republic of Japan has this week celebrated its diplomatic relations with Botswana in anticipation OF the latter’s 50th silver jubilee independence celebrations.

Speaking at reception ceremony in Gaborone, Ambassador of Japan to Botswana, Masahiro Onishi said his country established its diplomatic relations with Botswana on 30th September 1966 and this was worth celebrating.

“Botswana and Japan share the same fundamental values, namely, democracy, rule of law and the respect of human rights. It is for that reason that we have been cooperating in the international arena to advocate those principles. For us Botswana is a true friend that one can trust wholeheartedly,” explained Onishi. He further stated that both Botswana and Japan have rich natural resources, including tourism, which made the friendship between the two countries even stronger.

“About 10, 000 Japanese people visited Botswana in 2014, and it is my wish that more Japanese people will visit this beautiful country,” he said. Onishi also highlighted that Japan has previously assisted Botswana in the construction of infrastructure through grants and Yen loans over the years.

“Currently, Botswana has already achieved the status of an upper middle income country so that, in general means our grants and Yen loans are no longer applicable to this country. Instead, we are now cooperating with Botswana through technical cooperation and grant assistance for Grass Roots Projects,” he said. He therefore promised that he would commit to strive for further development of the relations between these two countries.