Japan congratulates Kuwait on the occasion of National & Liberation days
On the occasion of the 63rd National Day of the State of Kuwait and the 33rd Anniversary of its liberation, I would like to express my sincere congratulations and best wishes for the further development and prosperity of Kuwait and its people under the wise leadership of H.H. the Amir, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
We are proud that Japan was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Kuwait and establish diplomatic relations in 1961.
Japan-Kuwait relations date back to even before 1961, in 1957, a Japanese company ‘Arabian Oil Company (AOC)’ was granted oil concession in Kuwait. Since then, the two friendly countries have enjoyed very strong ties over the years based on mutual respect and common interest.
The two countries have always stood side by side in the face of hardships and crises; like the times Japan was hit by natural disasters, Kuwait never hesitated to offer warmest sympathy and financial support to Japanese people in the damaged areas. On the other hand, Japan supported Kuwait in its stance against the Iraqi invasion, and contributed USD 13 billion for the liberation of Kuwait, moreover the minesweepers of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces participated effectively in clearing the Gulf waters from the mines after the war. In line with the remarkable diplomatic and business relations, the people-to-people exchange in different fields is also growing, as the number of Kuwaiti visitors to Japan for different purposes, including tourism, business, and study, has noticeably increased. For example, in the year 2023, Embassy of Japan issued more than 5,000 visas.
Locally, the Japanese culture continues to gain popularity, this can be clearly seen in the eagerness of Kuwaitis to know about the arts of Origami (the art of folding paper), Ikebana (the art of flower arrangement), Sadō (tea ceremony), as well as Japanese language taught at the Center of Community Service and Continuing Education of Kuwait University and private institutes.
In the same context, we do appreciate the generosity of Kuwait Government for offering a scholarship to Japanese students to study Arabic language in a 1-year long course. The Embassy cherishes the network of those Kuwaitis who studied in Japanese universities in the past and appreciates their contribution to Japan – Kuwait friendship. Not to mention the great initiative by local companies keen to introduce Japanese products to the Kuwaiti market. In addition to the artists coming from Japan to join anime-related events after the flourishing of the Japanese pop culture. I believe there is more room to take these strong relations to even wider spheres of cooperation that could include health, environment, water, food and other infrastructures.
H.E. MORINO Yasunari
Ambassador of Japan
