As the Ambassador of Japan to Singapore, I am honored to offer my reflection on the celebration of ASEAN Day.
Since its establishment in 1967, ASEAN has expanded its membership and deepened its integration, and is now a centerpiece of the regional architecture.
I am very proud of that, because, as the first country in the world to become a partner of ASEAN, Japan has long been a “heart-to-heart” equal partner of ASEAN in its development journey. While Japan has supported ASEAN’s dramatic development through trade, investment and Official Development Assistance (ODA), the vibrant and dynamic economy of ASEAN has also contributed to Japan’s sustained development.
Taking the opportunity of ASEAN Day in the 50th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, I would like to reaffirm that the ASEAN-Japan partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship that has always been and will always be for peace, stability and prosperity of the region.
Looking ahead, we anticipate a number of common challenges, including climate change, an aging society and supply chain resiliency. While working together to address these challenges, we should also be open to new opportunities for growth that they may present. In December this year, the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit will be held in Tokyo, where we will look back on our 50-year trajectory and formulate a new vision for the future of ASEAN-Japan relations. We would like to lead the discussions with Singapore.
Japan and Singapore have an excellent and long-standing bilateral relationship. Despite disruptions caused by the pandemic, frequent high-level visits between our leaders remain constant or even grew. Since the end of May 2022, PM Kishida Fumio and PM Lee Hsien Loong met four times within one year. More recently in May this year, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also made an official visit to Japan. Through these exchanges, the leaders of the two governments reaffirmed their intent to pursue further cooperation in various fields, such as security, digital, energy and climate change, public health, and cultural exchange.
Taking the opportunity of ASEAN Day in the 50th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, I would like to reaffirm that the ASEAN-Japan partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship that has always been and will always be for peace, stability and prosperity of the region.
Hiroshi Ishikawa, Ambassador of Japan to Singapore
My staff and I at the Embassy of Japan in Singapore have been working to realize concrete cooperation of mutual interests.
- The Agreement concerning the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, which establishes a legal framework for closer cooperation between the two countries in the defense field, is one such example. The Embassy had played an important role in negotiating with the Singapore side and finally concluded the Agreement, which was signed by Deputy Secretary (Defense Development) Melvin Ong and myself on June 3, 2023.
- Another example is the first Singapore-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event, which took place in April, and featuring 22 startups from Japan, Singapore, and other regions presenting their proposals on open innovation challenges provided by several global companies. This was the kick-off event of our efforts to foster open innovation through collaboration between startups and large corporations from ASEAN and Japan, and I hosted a reception at my residence for the participants to network.
- In addition, the Embassy’s Japan Creative Centre (JCC) has been instrumental in introducing diverse charms of Japan to people in Singapore and promoting friendship between the two countries. Recently, JCC has organized events to showcase Japanese wine, rice and sake, space technologies, as well as artwork by children with disabilities of both countries, to name a few.
Tomorrow, Singapore will celebrate its National Day. I would like to take this opportunity to show my sincere respect for Singapore’s great political leadership and the efforts of all hardworking Singaporeans, who, since the country’s independence in 1965, have contributed to the development and prosperity of Singapore. Japan is committed to continuing our efforts to further enhance our bilateral relationship in the spirit of mutual assistance and learning.
Happy ASEAN Day today, and a joyous National Day to Singapore and all Singaporeans tomorrow!
www.sg.emb-japan.go.jp
www.sg.emb-japan.go.jp/JCC/
Embassy of Japan in Singapore
JCC (Japan Creative Centre)
