Press Conferences
Press Conference by Deputy Press Secretary Koichi Mizushima
Thursday, November 7, 2013, 2:00 p.m. Press Conference Room 381, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Deputy Press Secretary Mr. Koichi Mizushima : Good afternoon, Today, I have one item at the top.
The joint invitation of Israeli and Palestinian youth, 2013
Mr. Koichi Mizushima : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will invite ten Israeli and Palestinian youth, five from each, to Japan from November 10th to 17th.
The purpose of this invitation is to provide an opportunity for promising Israeli and Palestinian youth to promote mutual confidence-building between them through their participation in various activities in Japan together, with a view to helping realize a two-state solution in which Israel and a future independent Palestinian state live side by side in peace. It is also expected that the participants will deepen their understanding about the Japanese government’s efforts towards Middle East Peace process as well as Japanese diplomatic policies, economy and cultures.
The participants will visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other institutes relating to Middle East, and exchange views with Japanese college students. They will also visit Hiroshima and Kyoto in addition to Tokyo to experience various aspects of Japan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been inviting Israeli and Palestinian youth together since 1997, and this year's invitation is the sixteenth. A total of more than 170 young people from both sides have been invited so far.