On the 25th anniversary of their establishment, the diplomatic relations between the Republic of Moldova and Japan become stronger. “Even if geographically our counties are far away from each other, this does not hinder the partnership between our nations from becoming more solid. Last year, the governments of Japan and Moldova decided to reduce this distance by opening embassies in Chisinau and Tokyo, beginning a new chapter in our bilateral relations and offering the possibility of making our cooperation more profound and comprehensive,” Japan’s Ambassador in Chisinau Masanobu Yoshii said in an event held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in connection with the anniversary, IPN reports.

The diplomat said Japan remains an important partner of the Republic of Moldova, while the goal of the provided assistance is to make the life of Moldovans better and to help the Republic of Moldova become more stable from economic viewpoint. “During the past two weeks, we signed a number of grant agreements to develop both the real sector of Moldovan economy, such as agriculture, as well as the public health and education services sectors. I hope the results of these projects will be felt by Moldovans. At the same time, our economic and commercial exchanges also witness upward trends,” stated Masanobu Yoshii.

The ambassador thanked the Moldovan authorities for preparing a postage stamp with the Tighina Fortress and Himeji Castel of Japan, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the postage stamp with sakura – one of the most famous symbols of Japan – on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Moldovan-Japanese diplomatic relations. He noted that the Japanese Film Festival will take place at the Odeon Cinema in Chisinau on March 17 and 18.

For his part, deputy minister of foreign affairs and European integration Lilian Darii said the Land of the Rising Sun became an important partner of all the countries, including the Republic of Moldova. Since diplomatic relations had been established, the technical and financial assistance provided by Japan through projects implemented in Moldova amounted to US$155 million.

“We welcome the unprecedented development of the bilateral contacts during the last few years, including the historic decision of 2016 to open embassies in Chisinau and Tokyo. The Republic of Moldova is ready to attract Japanese investments, and approves of the intentions of the groups Sumitomo Electric, Fujikura Automotive and others to expand in our country, and to increase exports of Moldovan wine products to the Japanese market,” stated the deputy minister.

The diplomatic relations between Moldova and Japan were established on March 16, 1992.