Message by H.E. Mr. FUKUSHIMA Masanori, Ambassador of Japan to Armenia on the Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan

 It is my greatest honor to commemorate with you the Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, who turns 62 on February 23 this year. It is extremely regrettable that I am unable to host the reception to celebrate His Majesty the Emperor’s Birthday this year as well, due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, I would like to deliver my congratulatory message in this manner.
 
 For Japan, Armenia is an important partner in building a free and open international order based on the principle of "rule of law". In this regard, the Government of Japan has provided various types of assistance to Armenia, including economic and humanitarian assistance. We will continue to provide such assistance to Armenia in the future.
 
 While Japan and Armenia are geographically far away from each other, and have different culture, customs and traditions, we share some similarities. Both Japan and Armenia have long history and respect traditional culture. I would also like to emphasize that we both value "human resources" and acknowledge the importance of education.
 
 This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Armenia. I am certain that the most important tasks for further development of bilateral relations are strengthening economic relations, promoting cultural exchanges as well as advancing youth exchanges. I also believe that active political dialogues are indispensable, in order to boost these activities. As the Ambassador of Japan to Armenia, I will do my utmost to achieve the above-mentioned goals.
 
 I would like to close my message by offering my heartfelt wishes for His Majesty’s continued good health, as well as further development of cordial relations between Japan and Armenia.