October 2011

The year 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and India. On this momentous occasion, I would like to express my warm greetings to all friends of Japan in India.

Japan and India share long-standing historical ties, and have maintained a close bond of friendship since the establishment of their formal diplomatic relationship in April 1952. In recent times, this association has further deepened and matured through a sustained engagement process and reciprocal visits between the top leadership of both countries. Japan and India have enhanced and consolidated their Strategic and Global Partnership, and Japan considers it a privilege to work together with India in promoting peace, political stability and economic prosperity in the world.

I would like to make a special mention of the enormous moral support and timely material assistance extended by the Government and the people of India to their Japanese counterparts, following the devastating earthquake and tsunami disaster of 11 March 2011. This is a true gesture of goodwill and friendship, for which the Japanese people will remain eternally grateful to India. With the good wishes of the entire international community, Japan has been speedily recovering from this calamity of enormous proportions, and has been rebuilding itself as an even more resilient and stronger country than before.

In commemorating the 60th anniversary, we hope to share with our Indian friends the various cultural aspects of Japan – both traditional and modern – especially more of contemporary Japanese culture. This would be in the shape of many Japanese cultural events to be presented in New Delhi in 2012. Besides, we would be having intellectual exchanges among the scholars and journalists of Japan and India through the cooperation of think-tanks and media organizations of both countries, in order to exchange opinions on various topics of common interest.

This occasion would also be an opportunity for us to showcase the best of modern Japanese technology that can be made available to Indian consumers. There is a variety of hi-tech Japanese products that can be useful in the Indian context, which we would like to exhibit through some of the events.

In this 60th year of our diplomatic relations, we would like to renew our commitment to magnify further the bilateral relationship between Japan and India in a comprehensive manner, and look forward to a new chapter of friendship and cooperation between Japan and India.

AKITAKA SAIKI
Ambassador of Japan to India