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( L-R: H.E. Hiromasa Yamazaki, Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Mr Takahiro Nakamae, Director General, Latin American and Caribbean Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.)
The Director General (DG), Latin American and Caribbean Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr Takahiro Nakamae, paid a Courtesy Call on Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade on Wednesday, February 7.
Mr. Nakamae and Minister Johnson Smith had a fruitful exchange in which they discussed several aspects of the Jamaica/Japan bilateral cooperation programme. Mr. Nakamae noted that Japan will be implementing at least 8 major bilateral projects throughout Jamaica in 2018 in the areas of health, education, agriculture, energy and climate change.
Some of these cooperation projects include: the Japanese government’s JMD$9.4 M grant assistance for the purchase of ultrasound equipment for the Spanish Town Hospital and the US$15M loan from the Government of Japan to boost the government of Jamaica’s (GOJ’s) Energy Management and Efficiency Programme (EMEP).
( L-R: H.E. Hiromasa Yamazaki, Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica; Mr Takahiro Nakamae, Director General, Latin American and Caribbean Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, ,Mr Shinichi Yamanaka, Counsellor, Deputy head of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Jamaica; Gerard Smith, Foreign Service Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT), Jamaica, Shorna Kay Richards, Director, Bilateral Affairs Department, MFAFT; Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, MFAFT.)
Cooperation in agriculture, specifically coffee farming was also discussed, as Minister Johnson Smith expressed appreciation for the government of Japan’s US$90,000 grant funding of the Coffee Seedling project under the development-focussed Grassroots Assistance Programme which will aid farmers in increasing yield of Blue Mountain Coffee.
Additionally, it was noted that there are currently over 40 Japanese volunteers from the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV) programme, now in Jamaica offering developmental assistance in various sectors throughout Jamaica– an indication of the vibrant relations between both countries.
Jamaica and Japan established diplomatic relations on March 16, 1964.
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