24/08/2015 H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie Hosts Reception for Afghan graduates of PEACE Scholarship

August 24, 2015:
H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie hosted a reception to congratulate Afghan exchange students who recently had fulfilled their master’s degree curriculum in Japan. Under the PEACE scholarship program provided by Japanese government, about 50 Afghan students each year has been studying in all over Japan. By focusing on specialized fields of study in Japan, students will return to Afghanistan, and are expected to work as the foundation for rebuilding of the nation by utilizing their acquired specialty hence accelerating the development.

The reception was opened by H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie’s remarks thanking the Japanese government and project managers JICA and JICE, that this is one of the best example of precious Afghan-Japan friendship and humanitarian assistance that Japan demonstrates to the world which will be proven and last for long period of time, to realize peaceful, stable, and prosperous nation Afghanistan. 


Followed by Mr. Takuya Otsuka, Director of South Asian Department of JICA, stated that JICA congratulates Afghan students for graduation from the program, and very much hopes the continued development will be successful.

Among all 25 participating students, Mr. Hamed Arif, Mr. Abdulshukoor Haidary, Mr. Hamidullah Sokout and Mr. Mohammad Shoaib Saboory, presented their graduation theses. To commemorate their achievement, the Embassy and JICA respectively presented the congratulatory certificate to each student. The Embassy wishes their continued success in the country, Afghanistan.

20/08/2015 H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie and Mr. Karimi meet with the Honorable Member of the House of Representative Mr. Toshihiro Nikai

August 20, 2015:

H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie, and Second Secretary M. Yasir Karimi, had the honor of meeting with the Honorable Member of the House of Representative Mr. Toshihiro Nikai, Chairman of General Council of Liberal Democratic Party, at the party headquarter. It was a pleasure to be accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Matsunami, president of Japan-Afghanistan Friendship Association. H.E. Ambassador and the Honorable Mr. Nikai communicated mutual interests of both countries, such as World Tsunami Day proposal of Japan to the next session of the United Nation General Assembly, and “Afghan Hidden Treasure Exhibition” in Japan scheduled early next year.

6/08/2015 H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie Attends the 2015 Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima

August 6, 2015:

There are things in human history talking about which we quickly feel a lack of words, maybe because these are things that could never have been imagined by those who, throughout history, constituted our languages. Disaster, calamity, tragedy, catastrophe, woe? It is probably this linguistic shortcoming which caused the man who designed the weapon the World commemorated the first and only use to employ inappropriate words when he saw the first test.

On Thursday, August 6, 2015, at 08:15, that was exactly 70 years that the atomic bomb exploded 600 meters above the city of Hiroshima, taking away 80.000 lives instantly, and thousands more in the following days. This anniversary, for which the city of Hiroshima organizes each year a crucial ceremony, is not an opportunity to accuse one side or another, it is a chance given to the World to remember that this must never happen again anywhere.

Thus, it was an utmost honor for H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie to be present at the Peace Memorial Ceremony. This ceremony was absolutely commendable as it aimed to come together for the victims – to look at the past – in order to contribute realizing everlasting peace – to build a safer future. H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie shared the assistance’s aspiration for unending peace on behalf of the government and the people of Afghanistan, but also personally given the very human aspect of the ceremony.

This ceremony is also to remind to the World the imperious necessity of peace as wars only bring calamities, sadness and sorrow. Afghanistan and Japan have more in common than what people usually think – this is something H.E. former Ambassador Haron Amin, may he rest in peace, masterfully demonstrated in his book Lands under the rising sun – and one example of that is the fact that both countries have the uncountable value of peace carved in their history.

The ceremony and linked events have been an occasion for H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie to have a discussion with several people from different professional horizons: Mr. Hidehiko Yuzaki, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture; Mr. Kazumi Matsui, Mayor of the City of Hiroshima; Hon. Mr. Hiroshi Hiraguchi, LDP member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Budget Committee of the Lower House of the Diet; Hon. Mr. Terafumi Horiuchi, Communist Party member of the House of Representatives; Hon. Mr. Tetsuo Saito, Secretary-General of Komeito and member of the House of Representatives; Mr. Tomoyuki Yamane, Corporate Director and General Manager of the RIGHA Royal Hotel Hiroshima; and the journalists Ms. Tomomi Shineha of the Chugoku Shimbun and Mr. Masato Tainaka of the Asahi Shimbun.

5/08/2015 H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie Attends a Reception Hosted by the City of Hiroshima

August 05, 2015:
On the evening before the Peace Memorial Ceremony, H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie had the honor of attending a dinner reception hosted by the City of Hiroshima. There, H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie had the opportunity to meet with outstanding individuals, such as Mr. Hidehiko Yuzaki, the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture; Mr. Kazumi Matsui, the Mayor of the City of Hiroshima; Hon. Mr. Tadamori Oshima, the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and Hon. Mr. Masaaki Yamazaki, the President of the House of Councillors.

The dinner reception was an excellent occasion for H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie and the participants to share thoughts on the meaning and significance of peace for the coming ceremony.

5/08/2015 Press Conference for the Announcement of Displaced Afghan Cultural Properties to be Returned

August 5, 2015:

A Press Conference was held at the Tokyo Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCCJ) to announce the return of Afghan cultural properties that were under the custody of the Japan Committee for the Protection of Displaced Cultural Properties. For this event in which can be seen as a prequel to the exhibition of Afghan hidden Treasures at the Kyushu and Tokyo National Museums, several Afghan diplomats and embassy staff were present.

As H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie was in the city of Hiroshima to attend the 2015 Peace Memorial Ceremony, his message was delivered by Mr. Ahmad Bashir Ghafoori, First Secretary of the Afghan Embassy in Tokyo. By his sides were three experts, heads of organizations which played an important role in this cultural recovery by their knowledge and their action: Mr. Yoichi Inoue, Director of Curatorial Planning at the Tokyo National Museum; Mr. Noburo Noguchi, Director-General of the National Federation of Unesco Associations in Japan; Pr. Ryohei Miyata, President of Tokyo University of the Arts.

In his speech, Mr. Ahmad Bashir Ghafoori stressed the importance of Japan’s help to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in order to protect these “cultural refugees”. Tribute has also been paid to the late Pr. Ikuo Hirayama, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO at this time, who initiated the activity of protecting displaced Afghan properties.

In the framework of an international campaign, a few months ago, H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie delivered a speech named after the campaign: “Do Not Forget Afghanistan”. As the people of Afghanistan does not want to be forgotten, and the recent meaningful changes in the country not to be eclipsed, Afghans will never forget the help brought, being brought and to be brought by Japan and its citizens. This press conference was another occasion to spread this message.

Indeed, many journalists were presents – more than forty – representing various media, newspapers and TV companies. After the information given by the talented speakers, a question and answer session was held.

4/08/2015 H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie Visits the “Fukushima Fair in Kasumigaseki”

August 4, 2015:
H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie made a point of honor to be present at the “Fukushima Fair in Kasumigaseki”, an event hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to which the Diplomatic Missions in Japan were invited.
Too often, ordinary and brave citizens face dramatic issues they did not provoke but which they have to continue to live with. Afghans know it, and so do Japanese. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will never forget the help Japan brought and will do everything it can to prove it.
This is why H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie went to the fair to demonstrate his conviction that the Fukushima Prefecture will recover 2011’s disaster as it has many resources, and bought a few peaches and small cakes to offer the Embassy staff as well as his family.

30/07/2015 H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie Attends Morocco’s National Day Reception to Celebrate the 16th Anniversary of the Enthronement of H.M. King Mohammed VI

July 30, 2015:
H.E Ambassador Dr. Fatimie had the great pleasure to attend the reception held at the Hotel Okura organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco, to celebrate the 16th anniversary of the enthronement of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie sincerely congratulated H.E. Dr. Samir Arrour, Ambassador of Kingdom of Morocco in Japan, and wished him and H.M. King Mohammed VI continuous health, happiness and prosperity. In return, H.E. Dr. Samir Arrour also wished happiness and prosperity to H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie and Afghanistan.

H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie also had the chance to converse with several distinguished guests: H.E. Mr. Yasuhide Nakayama, State Minister for Foreign Affairs; Mr. Tsukasa Uemura, Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan and Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau at MOFA; Yoshitaka Akimoto, Grand Master of the Ceremonies at the Imperial Household; Mr. Nobuyoshi Takabe, Former Ambassador of Japan to the Democratic Republic of Congo; and a long-time friend of the Embassy, Dr. Kazuyuki Hamada, Former Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs.