Japenese Amb. congratulates Kuwait on nat'l celebrations

KUWAIT, Feb 22 (KUNA) -- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Kuwait Morino Yasunari congratulated Kuwait on the 63rd National Day and 33rd Liberation Day celebrations.
Yasunari expressed to KUNA on Thursday, his country's pride as one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Kuwait and establish diplomatic relations in 1961.
He added that Japan-Kuwait relations date back to even before 1961, in 1957, a Japanese company, Arabian Oil Company (AOC), was granted oil concession in Kuwait, noting that the two countries' strong ties are based on mutual respect and common interest.
He also said that the two countries "have always stood side by side in the face of hardships and crises," including natural disasters where Kuwait never hesitated to offer warmest sympathy and financial support to the Japanese people.
On the other hand, Japan supported Kuwait in its stance against the Iraqi invasion, and contributed USD 13 billion for the liberation of Kuwait, moreover the minesweepers of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces participated effectively in clearing the Gulf waters from the mines after the war, Yasunari added.
He also added that, in line with the remarkable diplomatic and business relations, the people-to-people exchange in different fields is also growing, as the number of Kuwaiti visitors to Japan for different purposes, including tourism, business, and study, has noticeably increased.
Yasunari said, "we do appreciate the generosity of Kuwait Government for offering a scholarship to Japanese students to study Arabic language in a year long course," noting that local companies are keen to introduce Japanese products to the Kuwaiti market.
He concluded, "I believe there is more room to take these strong relations to even wider spheres of cooperation that could include health, environment, water, food and other infrastructures." (end) tm.ahm