Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama met with the Chairman of Nippon Foundation Yohei Sasakawa yesterday in Tokyo, Japan.
The Prime Minister said as the Fijian delegation was in Japan to attend the 8th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM8), he was pleased to meet Sasakawa, who had initiated the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting thirty years ago.
Bainimarama commended and acknowledged the assistance rendered to Fiji through Nippon’s sister organization, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation from which the Fijian people have greatly benefitted over the years.
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation focuses on specialist support for Ocean and Seas.
The Chairman commended the PM on Fiji’s leadership at the Ocean’s Conference last year in New York and urged him to continue the leadership as it is a critical issue for our climate.
The Chairman added the Foundation would cooperate with Fiji in terms of capacity development.
The PM in his capacity as COP 23 President informed the Chairman on the progress undertaken by the Fijian Government in facilitating ways to build resilience particularly in maritime communities, and sought specialized expertise from the Foundation.
The PM also invited Sasakawa to visit Fiji to witness first-hand the resilience of the Fijian people.
The Nippon Foundation through its affiliated organisations, renders assistance for humanitarian activities in a diverse range of areas including maritime safety, food security, health and networking, both in Japan and overseas.
