• Register Email Updates

• Advanced Search
• Help

Speech by Former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto at the ceremony of the completion of the Suez Canal Bridge

October 9, 2001

Excellency President Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK
Excellency Prime Minister Dr. Atef EBEID
Excellency Dr. Ibrahim EL Domeiry, Minister of Transport
Distinguished Ministers
Ladies and Gentlemen honorable guests of this ceremony

I am pleased and honored to have this opportunity - as the representative of Japan - to celebrate with His Excellency President Hosni Mubarak, the ceremony of the completion of the Suez Canal Bridge, which will remain throughout history as an important symbol of friendship between Japan and Egypt. The grant assistance for the construction of this Bridge started to be considered by the Japanese government upon the receipt of Egypt's request, when His Excellency President Mubarak visited Japan in 1995. It is a project which holds deep memories for me, as the Japanese government made a cabinet decision to extend this grant assistance in 1997 at the time when I was Prime Minister.

I was greatly moved today upon seeing the Bridge, which combines beauty and sheer grandeur. This Bridge deserves to be the bridge connecting peoples and civilizations between the continents of Asia and Africa. I would like to express my appreciation for the efforts made by all, Egyptians and the Japanese, who have been involved in this historical project. I was especially pleased that this great work was accomplished with very few accidents due to good teamwork among all staff.

The idea of linking the Mediterranean and the Red Sea was alive since the age of the Pharaohs, four thousand years ago. This was realized when the Suez Canal was opened for navigation in 1869, which was called the "marriage ceremony between the East and the West". In fact, the relationship between Japan and the Suez Canal is old. In 1862, Yukichi Fukuzawa - the founder of the university which I graduated from and whose picture is on the biggest Japanese banknote which values 10,000 Yen - landed Suez and visited both Cairo and Alexandria, on his way to Europe as a member of a delegation dispatched by the Tokugawa Shogunate. This was the first visit made by the Japanese to Egypt in history. It is also recorded that the first Japanese people who crossed the Suez Canal was the members of the Iwakura delegation sent by the new Government of Meiji to Europe in 1873. I wonder what would be the feeling of these delegations from Japan, which had started to explore ways to modernize itself, if they saw the Suez Canal Bridge constructed, with its height of 70 meters, highest in the world, with the help of the Japanese technology.

This Bridge is the fruit of joint work between our two countries, Japan and Egypt, whereby Japan undertook the construction of the central part and the Egyptian side undertook the construction of the western and eastern segments. On the central part of the Bridge, there is a big sign carrying drawings of the flags of Japan and Egypt, and thus, all ships passing the Suez Canal will know the deep friendship between our two countries. These ships passing the Canal number 14 thousand annually, with the total tonnage of 440 million. I hope that this Bridge will symbolize forever the friendship between Japan and Egypt.

While celebrating the completion of this marvelous historical joint work between Japan and Egypt, I feel obliged to mention the terrorist attacks that took place in the United States last month. These terrorist attacks are extremely vicious and unforgivable acts of violence. They are serious challenges against the international community that must be based on peace and the rule of law as well as against the peaceful life of people. These acts - which deny people's right to live and their right to move freely - represent hostilities against the civilization itself which Japan and Egypt have undertaken to build for a long time. I held talks with President Mubarak prior to this ceremony, where we agreed that the international society should take a resolute stance against these acts of terror. Japan has been encouraging the dialogue among different civilizations including those with the Islamic world as one of its core foreign policies, since Japan believes that, throughout history, diversity of cultures is the origin of the vitality of human beings. Therefore, Japan fully understands that terrorism is contrary to the beliefs of Islam.

The area of the Suez Canal has profound strategic importance, and therefore unfortunately witnessed a number of wars in history. This area has become peaceful since Egypt made the brave and enlightened decision to conclude a peace accord with Israel in 1979 as the first Arab state. However, the Middle East peace process which began in 1991 is regretfully facing a severe crisis since the breakout of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in September last year. We highly value that Egypt is playing an extremely important and constructive role for the advancement of the peace process even in these circumstances as the pioneer of peace in the Middle East. Therefore, I express once again my deep respect for the distinguished leadership of President Mubarak in this regard, and I would like to conclude my words with my sincere hope that peace will be achieved in the Middle East in the nearest future.