ISLAMABAD: 31 OCT (DNA):H.E. Mr. WADA Mitsuhiro, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, on 30th October 2024, hosted a reception at his Official Residence in Islamabad to bid farewell to Pakistani dignitaries and friends. Ambassador WADA is going to leave Pakistan on 19th November and will take up his new assignment as Ambassador of Japan to Croatia.

Ambassador WADA assumed his office in October 2021, since when he has served as the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan for more than three years. Looking back his tenure, Ambassador WADA said, ‘Pakistan is a country that is very friendly to Japan. But I’ve tried not to take this for granted and have made various efforts in economic cooperation, cultural exchange and personal interaction to further deepen the historical ties between our two countries.’

This year marks the 70th anniversary of Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) to Pakistan. Ambassador WADA reiterated the importance of human aspects in Japan’s ODA, saying, ‘we always seek to work together with the local people and eventually encourage them to stand on their own. Rather than just providing money or goods, JICA tries to run alongside the Pakistanis and help them become the driving force of development. The key is the people, and Pakistan is blessed with such talents.’

He also mentioned the significance of cultural and people-to-people exchange and hoped that the cultural organizations such as Pakistan Japan Cultural Association (PJCA), Lahore Arts Foundation Trust, Lahore Sogetsu Study Group and Lahore Bonsai Society, as well as those who had studied in Japan including the MEXT Scholarship alumni, will continue bridging the gap between Pakistan and Japan.

Ambassador WADA further stressed that he had met a lot of wonderful people who worked passionately to strengthen Japan-Pakistan relations. He said, ‘I am now convinced that without the support of these great people, the friendship between Japan and Pakistan would have been impossible. I am deeply grateful to all of you.’

Referring to the difficult political, economic and security situations in Pakistan today, Ambassador WADA firmly said, ‘I know very well how patient and resilient the Pakistani people are and how big the potential of this country is. Once the elite – politicians, the judiciary, the establishment and others – and the common people come together on the same cause and work hard to solve the problems, I have no doubt that Pakistan will overcome these difficulties and firmly develop in the long term.’ He reiterated Japan’s commitment to support such efforts of Pakistan in the coming years and decades.

Ambassador AKAMATSU Shuichi, former Consul-General of Japan in Shanghai, will arrive in Pakistan in late November to succeed Ambassador WADA. In addition, Minister TAKANO Shuichi, now Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Brazil, will also succeed Minister ITO Takeshi in late November. Ambassador WADA hoped that his friends in Pakistan will extend their generous support to Ambassador & Mrs. AKAMATSU and Minister & Mrs. TAKANO as they have done for himself.