Embassy of Japan hosts 72nd Japan Self-Defense Forces Anniversary Reception

On 5th November, the Embassy of Japan hosted a reception to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the establishment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces at the embassy. The reception was attended by Hon. Major General (Rtd.) Aruna Jayasekera, M.P., Deputy Minister of Defence, and Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha, Secretary of Defence, among other distinguished guests.

The reception featured a video message from Hon. Shinjiro KOIZUMI, Minister of Defense of Japan, who reaffirmed Japan’s commitment towards further strengthening the bonds, trust and cooperation between the two nations and with international partners.

H.E. Akio ISOMATA, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, referring to the video message from Defense Minister KOIZUMI, elaborated on the importance of security cooperation between Japan and Sri Lanka under the vision of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)." He emphasised that amid an increasingly complex international security environment, it is essential for the countries in the region to acquire and promote the freedom to decide their own future by enhancing resilience across all aspects of economy, society and security to cope with such a challenging environment.

As one of the concrete examples of such cooperation, Ambassador ISOMATA touched upon Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) framework under which the two countries agreed last year on the provision of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to the Sri Lanka Navy to strengthen its maritime surveillance and disaster response capabilities. He also noted some ongoing skills enhancement and personnel exchange cooperation, such as the new military personnel exchange programme initiated under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) of Japan and the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka in June this year.

Ambassador ISOMATA reiterated that Japan has consistently followed the path of a peace-loving nation since the end of World War II, and has been making active contributions to peace and stability in the international community with “'Exclusively Defense-Oriented Policy” to remain as its basic pillar of diplomatic and defense policy.

During the reception, Ambassador ISOMATA and the distinguished guests performed traditional Japanese "Kagami-biraki" (sake barrel-breaking) to toast the friendship and future prosperity of both nations. The reception also featured Japanese sake (rice wine) and cuisine, fostering deeper mutual understanding and goodwill among the participants.