New Year Greetings from Ambassador MIYASAKA Yusuke
Happy New Year.
I sincerely hope that the coming year will be a prosperous and fulfilling one for all of you.
This year marks the 44th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Antigua and Barbuda. Over the years, the friendly ties between our two countries, grounded in our shared values of freedom and democracy, have continued to grow stronger and deeper. Since April of last year, it has also been our great pleasure at the Embassy of Japan in Barbados to assume accreditation for Antigua and Barbuda.
As we begin a new year, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the many developments and initiatives that defined 2025. In September, Antigua and Barbuda hosted its National Day event at the Osaka–Kansai Expo 2025, which featured an opening address from the Honorable Paul Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Barbuda Affairs. The event also showcased vibrant traditional drum and steel pan performances, as well as dance presentations and an engaging performance by soca artist Mr. Tien Winter.
During his visit to Japan, Minister Greene held talks with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Takeshi Iwaya, during which both ministers reaffirmed their shared commitments to advancing bilateral cooperation. In particular, they emphasized collaboration aimed at addressing the vulnerabilities of small island states and promoting their sustainable development. In the same month, a Memorandum of Cooperation on water disaster prevention and water management was signed between the Government of Japan and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). As a country with extensive experience in addressing natural disasters, Japan stands ready to contribute to the disaster risk reduction efforts in Antigua and Barbuda through the sharing of its knowledge and technologies.
Both Japan and Antigua and Barbuda are island nations that face similar vulnerabilities. These shared challenges have fostered a strong foundation for constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation in key areas such as fisheries, water resource management, disaster risk reduction, and enhancing resilience to climate change.
Within this framework, Japan has extended capacity-building support through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in fields such as health, disaster prevention, and water security, in addition to dispatching an expert to the CARICOM Secretariat and the CDEMA.
More specifically, in response to the increasingly critical challenge posed by the influx of sargassum seaweed in recent years, state-of-the-art aquatic plant harvesting equipment was procured in August of last year, accompanied by training provided by the Japan International Cooperation System (JICS) to support the Coast Guard. Lastly, under the Economic and Social Development Program, the procurement project for a second seawater desalination plant has commenced, marking an important step toward strengthening water security in Antigua and Barbuda.
We are also delighted to note the past participation of citizens of Antigua and Barbuda in the JET Program and in the Japanese Government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Scholarship Program. These initiatives play an important role as bridges for cultural exchange and academic advancement, significantly contributing to the deepening of mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of our two nations. We look forward to continuing to promote and steadily advance these valuable exchanges in the year ahead.
In the coming year, we will continue to make steady progress on our ongoing initiatives, while also focusing on further strengthening bilateral relations across a wide range of areas, including efforts to encourage greater engagement and presence by Japanese companies.
We sincerely appreciate your continued support and cooperation.
January 2026
Yusuke Miyasaka
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Antigua and Barbuda