President's visit boosts Sri Lanka-Japan ties

Sri Lanka-Japan ties received a major boost through the agreements reached between the leaders of the two countries during President Mahinda Rajapaksa's landmark state visit to Japan coinciding with the 60 th anniversary of relations between the two nations, a top Japanese official told the Sunday Observer.

Takeshi Ozaki, Chief of the Southwest Asia Division of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, told the Sunday Observer in an interview that the visit and the subsequent joint statement issued by the two leaders marked a significant milestone in the relationship between the two countries which share many common values inspired by Buddhism. "Ours is a unique friendship and a great partnership and we share many common interests and goals," he said.

During the visit, President Rajapaksa and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discussed a wide range of bilateral issues and set guidelines for cooperation between the two countries in many fields, including education, maritime activity, disaster management, investment and trade, television broadcasting and infrastructure development. Immediately following the President's visit, Japan announced the grant of assistance amounting to Yen 2,678 million for projects in fisheries, road transport and health sectors, reaffirming Japan's commitment to assist Sri Lanka. Japan will also fund a feasibility study for a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) for Colombo.

He said the two countries should strive to improve their trade relationship as trade and investment were vital for rapid development. Trade between the two countries amounted to 100 billion Yen in 2011. Japanese companies invest heavily in Sri Lanka, with 140 companies running successful operations, he said.

Ozaki also noted the possibility of generating more people-to-people contact as the two countries celebrate 60 years of friendship and partnership. More than 12,000 Japanese tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2012, a considerable increase from the 10,000 in 2009. Japan also promoted people-to-people contact in various other ways, including the recent opening of South Asia's first proper Baseball ground in Sri Lanka. Many Sri Lankans today are learning the Japanese language.

Empowering the Sri Lankan people through technology was another objective, he said. Since both countries have suffered from the tsunami and other disasters, Japan was interested in helping Sri Lanka to mitigate the effects of any natural disasters. Moreover, local companies and expertise are extensively used in projects funded by Japan, thereby paving the way for technology and knowledge transfer.