05/06/2013 Ambassador Fatimie attends Reception for Japanese Mayors hosted by H.E. Foreign Minister Kishida

June 5, 2013: 

Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie attended a reception for the Mayors of the Municipalities of Japan, hosted by H.E. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at the Iikura House. The regularly organized reception allows for the international community and key Japanese figures to meet with the leaders and representatives of municipalities from throughout Japan.

Ambassador Dr. Fatimie was able to meet with the head of the Mayors’ Association, Hon. Mayor Tamio Morii of Nagaoka city. As the Ambassador prioritizes relations between with Japan’s prefectures and municipalities, he expressed, on behalf of the people and Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, deepest gratitude for the warm reception that he has been given by local leaders and for the role of these esteemed leaders and their respective communities in Japan’s overall life-bettering support to development and peace in Afghanistan. 

Ambassador Dr. Fatimie had then the honor to greet a number of the Honorable Mayors in attendance, including, in alphabetical order of city names, Hon. Mayor Shigemitsu Hosoe of Gifu, Hon. Mayor Koji Nomura of Hagi, Hon. Mayor Eikoh Tsuya of Kitaakita, Hon. Mayor Hiroaki Yamamoto of Masuda, Hon. Mayor Tamio Mori of Nagaoka, Hon. Mayor Tomihisa Taue of Nagasaki, Hon. Mayor Tooru Umino of Naka, Hon. Mayor Isoo Sasako of Natori, Hon. Mayor Akinari Takehisa of Setouchi, Hon. Mayor Norihiko Kataoka of Tokoname, and Hon. Mayor Takeuchi Isao of Tottori. The Ambassador furthermore had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the cities of Chikuma, Hamada, Hiroshima, Hita, Kitakyushu, Moriyama, Niigata, Sakai, Shizuoka, and Takamatsu.

Ambassador Dr. Fatimie was also fortunate enough to meet with representatives of Japan's central government, including Hon. Representative Katsutoshi Kaneda and from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs H.E. Parliamentary Senior Vice-Ministers for Foreign Affairs Masaji Matsuyama (pictured above); H.E. Ambassador Sumio Kusaka (pictured below), Chief of Protocol; and Ms. Kanako Kobayashi of the Local Partnership Cooperation Division. To these friends, Ambassador Dr. Fatimie was able to renew the sincerest appreciation of the Afghan people and Government for the impact-generating, generous cooperation that Japan overall and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within has extended to Afghanistan.