Latin America and the Caribbean

On Wednesday, February 19, Mr. Hirotaka Ishihara, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, received a courtesy call by 14 young diplomats (note) from member countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The young diplomats visited Japan from February 16 to February 24 at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

 

1. Parliamentary Vice-Minister Ishihara welcomed the visit to Japan by the 14 young diplomats, stating that CARICOM member states are important partners for Japan in the international community. Noting that he visited Belize in January, Mr. Ishihara stated that he hopes to visit other CARICOM member states and expressed hope that each of the 14 young diplomats will gain a further understanding of Japan through the invitation program and serve as a bridge between Japan and their respective countries as well as one between Japan and CARICOM.

 

2. The young diplomats from CARICOM expressed gratitude for providing them an opportunity to visit Japan, a beautiful country, on the occasion of Japan-CARICOM Friendship Year 2014. They stated that they wish to strengthen the friendly relationship further between Japan and CARICOM member states from what they learn during the visit.

 

(Note) Of the 14 CARICOM member states, participants of this program are from Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Jamaica, Surinam, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize and the CARICOM secretariat (Saint Lucia) .