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. 

Since April of last year, the Embassy of Japan in Barbados has had the honor of being accredited to Dominica, and it has been my privilege to serve as Ambassador of Japan. Although geographically distant, our two island nations are united by shared values and common challenges and have nurtured a strong and friendly partnership. This cooperation has been especially meaningful in areas such as fisheries, disaster prevention, and climate change. This year marks the 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our nations and looking ahead, I remain committed to further strengthening our bilateral ties and fostering collaboration in these and other fields, advancing our shared goals both bilaterally and on the international stage. 

During the Japan-CARICOM Friendship Year 2024, the 8th Japan-CARICOM Foreign Ministerial Conference was held which was attended by the Honorable Dr. Vince Henderson, Minister of Foreign Affairs.  This meeting marked a new milestone in Japan-Dominica relations as it yielded the significant outcome of establishing Japan-UNIDO grant aid for CARICOM. We expect this project to make a meaningful contribution to the sustainable development of the Commonwealth of Dominica. 

The partnership between Japan and the Commonwealth of Dominica has brought about meaningful results across various areas through the Economic and Social Development Program, Multilateral Grant Aid and the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects. Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, Japan supported the restoration of fisheries facilities in Roseau and Marigot. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has also played an important role in strengthening capacity in education, disaster prevention, and water security.  JICA dispatched an expert to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), which led to the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on water disaster prevention and water resources management. Japan is committed to building on these achievements and deepening our cooperation in key areas such as fisheries, disaster prevention and resilience. 

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. 

We sincerely appreciate your continued support and cooperation and look forward to another year of close partnership and shared achievements.