East Asian nation promises to help Barbados tackle key challenges

By Marlon Madden

While expressing confidence in Barbados’ ability to overcome challenges relating to climate change, rising food prices and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ambassador of Japan to Barbados Kayoko Fukushima has pledged his country’s continued support to help Barbados tackle those and other issues.

Fukushima said she was “optimistic of the future of relations between Barbados and Japan” and hoped to see “a further deepening and strengthening of ties between our countries during my time in Barbados”.

She was addressing a special reception at the Accra Beach Resort last Friday to celebrate the 63rd birthday of the Emperor of Japan, His Majesty Naruhito.

Fukushima told guests that since starting her post as the second resident Japanese ambassador to Barbados last April, she has met with individuals across various sectors as well as government officials and academic leaders on a range of issues.

“Our countries share a friendly history grounded in the mutually shared values of freedom, democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights. The government of Japan is conscious of the triple threat of COVID-19, climate change and rising prices that Barbados is facing, but I am confident in the country’s ability to overcome these challenges under the leadership of Prime Minister Mia Mottley,” she said.

Acknowledging that Japan assumes the G7 presidency this year, Fukushima said her nation’s leader hoped to “strengthen relations between the G7 members and the global south to jointly address global issues including climate change, global health and development as well as energy and food security”.

The diplomat also said it was encouraging to see people from Barbados and the rest of the region travelling to Japan through cultural and education exchange programmes.

“Currently, the Japanese government is supporting sargassum management capacities in Barbados and four other Caribbean countries through the UNDP [United Nations Development Programme]. Japan also supports Barbados in coastal zone management through the IDB [Inter-American Development Bank],” she said, pointing to technical cooperation in areas relating to disaster reduction.

Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Sandra Husbands said she was looking forward to the deepening of relations between Barbados and Japan as she identified several areas of collaboration.

“His Majesty, the Emperor has come to personify the very best characteristics of the people of Japan – mutual respect, the pursuit of common ground and advocating for peace. These same characteristics underpin the bilateral relationship between Barbados and Japan. Two countries that are undoubtedly bound together by friendship and cooperation, centred on the mutual development of our countries to create better lives for our people,” said Husbands.

“As we continue to tackle the major challenges facing us including the very huge task of the climate crisis, as well as the harsh realities of the battle in securing our economic future, our relationships matter now more than ever,” she said.

Noting that the 56-year-old Barbados-Japan bilateral relationship had been strengthened by cooperation over the years in several areas including education, sports, culture, ICT and climate change, Husbands said: “I am certain we will continue to find avenues for cooperation which serve to strengthen our bilateral relations and benefit both of our countries.”

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb