5.Ambassador's Office
(2)Greetings
(a) Activities since assuming the
Ambassador's office, in particular in 2009
The Japanese
economy has been showing a strong presence here in
Oman
. With trade volume between
Japan
and
Oman
having reached nearly 10 billion dollars last year in 2008 –
well over the previous year's volume of approximately 6 billion dollars –
Japan
has practically become
Oman
's largest trading partner.
Japan
's major imports from
Oman
include oil and gas as well as petroleum and gas products, but Japan also
imports agricultural and fishery products from
Oman
, such as common cuttlefish, tuna, and kidney beans.
Oman
imports products such as automobiles and machinery from
Japan
, but it is not very widely known that
Oman
is the world's largest importer of Japanese melons.
At the same time,
the number of Japanese companies operating in
Oman
remains as low as 11, which is why the Omani government is so eager for the
active entry of Japanese companies into the
Oman
market. It was against this backdrop that we convened the Japan-Oman Business
Forum for the first time last November in cooperation with the Dubai Office of
the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Already some of the companies that participated in the Forum have launched business negotiations. I hope that
cooperation between our two countries in the advanced areas in which Japan has
great expertise, including energy-conservation technologies and solar
technologies, will be further advanced through business muchmaking events such
as the Japan-Oman Business Forum.
The exchanges
between
Japan
and
Oman
in the areas of politics and security have been advanced remarkably since last
year. Mr. Hiroshi Okuda, the senior advisor of
Toyota
, visited
Oman
last summer as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on the initiative of Prime
Minister Yasuo Fukuda, to discuss with senior officials of the Omani government
ways for
Japan
and the Gulf nations to build multi-layered relations. Coupled with anti-piracy
operations –
Japan's new initiative –
the exchange activities between the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)
and the Royal Navy of Oman have also been advancing, with the JMSDF's vessels
that have been engaging in replenishment support activities in the Indian Ocean
having called at a port in Oman more than 30 times, and the vessels of training
Squadron making
a port call in Oman this year for the first time in nine years. Likewise, the
two countries have been enjoying a deepening level of dialogue in the areas of
politics and security. As part of the exchanges in the sphere of politics
between
Japan
and
Oman
, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Yasutoshi
Nishimura and Special Envoy Yasuo Fukuda (former Prime Minister) visited
Oman
in February and March, respectively, whereas Secretary General of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi visited
Japan
this July to kick off strategic consultations.
Women in Oman
have been playing important roles in society, with many of them assuming
crucial positions in society, such as becoming ministers and parliamentarians.
Yet, feudalistic customs with traditions of tribal society are still deeply
rooted in the country, making it necessary for the country to advance
educational activities for women's enhanced roles. We at the Embassy have
conducted various activities in this respect under the banner of women's
intellectual exchanges. For example, Ms. Atsuko Toyama, President of the New
National Theatre, Tokyo and former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology, came to Sultan Qaboos University, the only national university in
Oman, last February to give a lecture on the importance of education for women.
Ms. Toyama also visited a non-governmental organization (NGO) which supports
women's efforts to attain financial independence, and actively exchanged views with people
involved.
The people of
Oman
have very positive feelings toward
Japan
and strong interest in Japan. That does not mean, however, that they have sufficient knowledge and
understanding of
Japan. That is why I organized the Film Club at the Embassy soon after assuming the
Ambassador's office, out of my desire to introduce, through pop culture, various
aspects of
Japan
to the people of Oman, especially those of younger generations. The Club introduces Japanese films of
contemporary directors and has conducted more than ten screenings thus far, gaining
praise from the people of
Oman
. The Embassy also organized the Japan Night last February at
Oman
Tourism
College
and my lecture session at the Cultural Club the following month, as part of our
public communication activities to introduce Japan-Oman relations and
Japan
's foreign policy to students and intellectuals in Oman. Furthermore, the
Embassy has been working to introduce
Japan
's traditional cultures to the people of
Oman
. Taking the opportunity provided by the good season, we invited a master of
Urasenke, a
school
of
Japanese
tea ceremony, to present a nodate-style outdoor tea demonstration for women in
Oman
, and organized an event to demonstrate ikebana, a Japanese-style flower
arrangement, performed by an Omani teacher and my wife.
The visit to
Japan
by Minister of Heritage and Culture H.H. Haitham bin Tarik Al-Said in April
2008 has cemented the foundations for cooperation, including the cooperation to
establish the National Archives of Oman, the exchange of historical documents
between the two countries, and assistance in the area of archaeology, ensuring a
steady advancement of cooperation in cultural publicity. I am sure that days
will come in the near future when cooperation on the Royal Opera House, which is
currently under construction, will come into sight.
Oman
established the
Oman-Japan Friendship Association (OJFA) in 1974 under a Royal decree. The
Embassy and the OJFA have been jointly coordinating various events to
reinvigorate the OJFA's activities, which have somewhat stagnated in recent
years, including this year's mangrove planting ceremony and a geo-park tour in the mountains. I am determined to reconstruct cooperative relations between
the OJFA and the Japanese society in
Oman
, with financial support for these activities from Japanese companies in this
country and the active participation of Japanese members of the OJFA.
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