Greetings from Ambassador MIZUKOSHI Hideaki


Ayubowan and Wanakkam.
 
My Name is MIZUKOSHI Hideaki, newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, having arrived in Sri Lanka in mid-November. It is with great honour and pride that I serve as ambassador in this beautiful country which is also endowed with ancient civilization and flourishing culture. Since my arrival three weeks ago, I am in fact being fascinated by daily discovery of beautiful sceneries of Sri Lanka, warm hospitality of Sri Lankan people, and deep friendship that has been nurtured between Japan and Sri Lanka.
 
Located at the pivot of east-west sea lanes, Sri Lanka is our important partner in realizing a free and open Indo- Pacific that has been promoted by the Government of Japan. In fact, my recent visit to Mirissa has deepened such notion, where I saw a string of large vessels passing busily in the horizon. The purpose of this visit was to strengthen our maritime cooperation with the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, and true to its purpose, I wish to further promote the foregoing cooperation in order to contribute to peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific Oceans.
 
Japan and Sri Lanka are said to have maintained maritime trade since olden days, but it was to the historic visit of Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala to Japan in 1889 that we can attribute the recorded history of our friendship, budding in the virtuous interactions through Buddhism. The special relations, thus nurtured in our common faith, has attained further development while resting on the sacred verse from Dhammapada –“Hatred ceases not by hatred, but by love”– which was quoted by the late President J.R. Jayewardene at the San Francisco Peace Conference on September 6, 1951. The major development projects, such as recently-completed New Bridge Construction Project over the Kelani River, or COVID-19-related assistance extended from Japan to Sri Lanka, clearly showcase such strong bond of friendship that exists between the two countries.
 
Next year marks the 70^th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. With blessing and participation by our friends in Sri Lanka, and by organizing commemorative events throughout the year, I wish to embellish the year 2022 with beautiful colors and hues.
 
My Embassy will be “airy and open” just like the sea breeze blown from the Indian Ocean, so please contact us freely if you have any queries.
 
I will not spare any efforts to further promote our time-honoured relationship, and towards this goal, I look forward to working with you all in the coming days.
 
MIZUKOSHI Hideaki
Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka