Press Conferences

Mr. Toshihide Ando, Foreign Deputy Press Secretary: H.E. Dr. Mohamed Asim, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Maldives, will visit Japan from November 16 to 20.

During his stay, Foreign Minister Asim will have a working lunch with Foreign Minister Taro Kono and exchange views about the bilateral relations, the local situation, and other topics.

The Maldives is situated in a strategic point in the Indian Ocean and is an important country to Japan. Additionally, this year is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Maldives. We expect that the Minister Asim visit will give further momentum to further deepening the amicable relation between the two countries.

Foreign Deputy Press Secretary Ando: Under JENESYS2017, the Japan's Friendship Ties Program, about 180 high school students, Japanese language and karate learners, and others from the Republic of Korea (ROK), Cambodia, the Philippines, Viet Nam, and Laos are currently visiting Japan. The participants are visiting Ishikawa, Okinawa, Gifu, Kyoto, Osaka, Shiga, Chiba, and Fukushima Prefectures by country and touring related facilities and other sites and interacting with people involved as well as local people related on the themes of Japanese language, culture, and sports.

The program will also host approximately 20 high school students and others from the ROK from November 20, about 150 high school students and others from ASEAN member states, Mongolia, the ROK, as well as Timor-Leste from November 21, and about 20 university students from the ROK from November 22. Participants will visit Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Hokkaido and tour related facilities and interact with Japanese students and others in the same age group on the themes of culture, Japanese language communication, and local heritage. Through this program, it is expected that participants will gain a multi-faceted understanding of Japan and actively promote Japan’s charms.