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2012/01/17
Nishimura, Kato meet with Maldivian Foreign Minister
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On January 17, former DPJ International Department Director-General Chinami Nishimura met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Maldives Ahmed Naseem at party headquarters and exchanged opinions. The meeting was also attended by International Department Vice Director-General Gaku Kato.
At the start of the meeting Nishimura welcomed Naseem, and commented on the bilateral relationship between Japan and the Maldives, saying, “We have enjoyed friendly relations over a very long period. We have joined forces behind the scenes in the international arena, and in terms of international cooperation we have cooperated in various ways, such as through Japan’s provision of assistance for breakwaters to prevent tsunami damage.” Furthermore, Nishimura communicated her appreciation for the condolences and donations received from the government and people of the Maldives on the occasion of the Great Japan Earthquake.
Naseem stated, “Following independence, the Maldives has created a close relationship with Japan. The Maldivian Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan have many points in common. I hope that we can deepen exchanges between parliamentarians and political parties during this year, which marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of relations between the Maldives and Japan.”
In response, the DPJ side said they would like to realise exchanges between parliamentarians of both parties should the appropriate opportunity arise. The two sides went on to discuss ways in which bilateral cooperation could proceed in areas such as democratization, disaster response and agricultural reform, and the meeting ended in a convivial atmosphere.
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