Ambassador Miyamoto’s Message on the occasion of His Majesty the Emperor’s 62nd Birthday

 
     Today, on February 23^rd, His Majesty Emperor Naruhito has turned 62 in good health. As a Japanese diplomatic mission, we are delighted to celebrate His Majesty’s birthday, which is an important occasion of the year for the entire Japanese population.
 
     In the midst of the challenges witnessed by the entire world due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), I would like to express my highest appreciation to the Government of Bahrain for its advanced policies to protect all the citizens and residents from the very beginning of the pandemic. I sincerely hope that we will be able to return to normalcy very soon.
 
     In retrospect, His Majesty the Emperor made an official visit to Bahrain with Her Majesty Empress Masako in November 1994, shortly after their marriage, as the Crown Prince and Princess. Last year, when I had a privilege to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor prior to my arrival in Bahrain, he vividly recalled his beautiful memories of the visit to Bahrain and entrusted me to convey his deepest gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and all the members of the Royal Family as well as the government and people of Bahrain for their warm welcome and generous hospitality during his stay in Bahrain.
 
     This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bahrain, but the relations between the two countries enjoy a much longer history than that.  As a matter of fact, the very first oil shipment of Bahrain was destined for Japan in 1934. Since then, the bilateral relations between Japan and Bahrain have steadily expanded across various fields out of mutual respect. The exchange of official visits by the Imperial Family of Japan and the Royal Family of Bahrain, close coordination between the governments, and interactions of the people have paved the way for the diversification of bilateral cooperation, involving business, scholarship, youth and sports, cultural and security components. To name a few examples, last summer, Japan welcomed the National Bahrain Team to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, while many young Japanese athletes participated in the Asia Youth Para Games in Bahrain at the end of last year. Earlier this month, Bahrain successfully launched its first satellite Light-1 into orbit, and I could not have been prouder that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) facilitated this significant achievement. This is a proof that the scope of cooperation between us is now expanding into the space.  We are determined to continue our endeavors to elevate the bilateral ties to the next level for mutual interests and bright future of both friendly countries.
 
     To conclude, I would like to reiterate my sincere wish for abundance of health and happiness to His Majesty the King, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and all Royal Family members, and for further development and prosperity of the Kingdom of Bahrain.