Dastis during his speech./ Photo: Foreign Ministry
Eduardo González. 17/01/2018
The Spanish Foreign Minister, Alfonso Dastis, and the Japanese Foreign Minister, Kazuyuki Nakane, inaugurated, yesterday in Madrid, the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Spain and Japan.
“The relationship between Spain and Japan is an open and old book, but it is also a train moving; it is influenced by a vibrant topicality and an extraordinary promise of future”, Dastis declared during the event, celebrated at the Foreign Ministry’s headquarters in the Viana Palace.
Before the inauguration, both ministers held a meeting in which they could “see once more” that Spain and Japan share “values and an open view of the world and our societies”, according to Dastis, who also emphasized the “very important opportunities” opening for both countries after the signing of the free trade agreement between the EU and Japan.
Furthermore, Dastis announced that, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary, both Governments are working “to present, in the coming months, a new roadmap that will guide the progress of our bilateral relations in the next years and that we hope to make public in the next bilateral summit this year”. Diplomatic sources pointed out that the summit will be held in Japan in autumn.
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Dastis and the deputy Foreign Minister are preparing a roadmap to be made public in the next bilateral summit
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For his part, Kazuyuki Nakane affirmed that Japan and Spain are “fundamental partners that share universal values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law” and he expressed his wish for the 150th anniversary “to give a greater promotion to bilateral relations”.
After the speeches, the secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Ildefonso Castro, gave the facsimile of the appointment of the first chargé d’affairs in Tokyo, Tiburcio Rodríguez, to his granddaughter María del Carmen Rodríguez Vignote, as well as that of the appointment of the first second secretary of Spain in Japan to his great-grandchildren.
The event concluded with a reception in which there was a ceremony to open the barrel of sake (Kagami Biraki), a Japanese tradition to toast in inaugurations. Among those participating were Ildefonso Castro, Kazuyuki Nakane, the High Commissioner for Marca España, Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, Ambassador Masashi Mizukami, the president of the organizing committee in Spain of the 150th Anniversary and president of Mitsubishi Spain, Kiyoshi Azuma, and the secretary general of the Spain-Japan Council Foundation, Josep Piqué. Dastis could not take part, but, during his speech, he asked, as a joke, to have “some sake” left for him.
Ildefonso Castro gives the facsimile to the granddaughter of the first chargé d’affaires in Tokyo.
Opening of the barrel of sake.
Commemorative drawing of the Japanese Embassy for the 150th anniversary.