The 65th birthday of Japan’s Emperor Naruhito was celebrated with a reception Hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Ankara.
Hosted by the Ambassador of Japan to Türkiye, Takahiko Katsumata, the reception took place at Divan Hotel attended by Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat, Deputy Minister of National Defense Şuay Alpay, as well as numerous ambassadors, diplomats, and business people. Ambassador Katsumata, in his speech at the event, expressed his pleasure in celebrating Emperor Naruhito’s birthday and reminded that Naruhito is Japan’s 126th Emperor. Referring to the relations between Türkiye and Japan, Katsumata said that the ties between the two countries are based on historical bonds, and in 2024, the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations was celebrated.
STRATEGIC PARTNER
Katsumata stressed, “As we enter a new century in diplomatic relations between the two countries, the global community is facing many challenges that we must overcome together, including developments in the Middle East and Ukraine, security tensions in various regions including the Asia-Pacific, climate change, and ‘Sustainable Development Goals.’ As strategic partners, Japan and Türkiye should engage in closer dialogue and consultations to address these common issues effectively.”
PIONEERING UNIVERSITY
Ambassador Katsumata expressed his belief that the ongoing negotiations for a bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement would serve as a strong engine for further developing business, trade, and investment between the two countries and stated, “There are many voices from companies and sectors calling for this agreement, which will be beneficial for both parties, to be concluded as soon as possible. Another important intergovernmental project is the Turkish-Japanese Science and Technology University, which is planned to be established in Istanbul as a world-class research-focused university specializing in graduate studies. We hope this pioneering university will open within this year.”
INCREASING TRADE VOLUME
Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat also recalled that Türkiye and Japan elevated their relations to the level of strategic partnership in 2013 as a testament to the importance given to cooperation and stated, “At the core of our strategic partnership, we strive to develop and deepen our bilateral relations in all areas, including trade, science, technology, energy, and disaster management.”
Minister Bolat noted that the trade volume between Türkiye and Japan, which was 3.8 billion dollars in 2014, has approached 5.5 billion dollars in 2024, and continued:
LONG-TERM COOPERATION VISION
“In this regard, in addition to Turkish Airlines increasing its flights to Japan, we see it as highly significant that the Japanese airline company All Nippon Airways (ANA) started its flights to Istanbul for the first time last week. On the other hand, the total investments of 257 Japanese companies operating in Türkiye amount to 3.1 billion dollars, demonstrating Japan’s confidence in our country and its long-term cooperation vision. Japan’s total overseas direct investments have exceeded 2 trillion dollars, Turkey should receive a larger share of Japanese direct investments. In this context, we see the Economic Partnership Agreement being negotiated between Türkiye and Japan as a strategic tool for diversifying and balancing our trade with a win-win principle, and for establishing a common economic model aimed at increasing investments.”
Following the speeches, guests toured the stands displaying Japanese brands. At the reception, traditional Japanese cuisine was served.
