Rwanda inaugurated its first honorary consulate in Japan’s Kansai region, opening an office that is expected to deepen business, academic and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

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The office was inaugurated in Kobe on Tuesday, September 15 in a ceremony presided over by Rwanda&039;s Ambassador to Japan Marie Claire Mukasine and Yasushi Misawa, representative of the government of Japan and ambassador in charge of Kansai affairs.

Kenji Fukuoka has been recognised as Rwanda’s Honorary Consul and will lead the office in Kobe.

The ceremony was also attended by members of the Kansai consular corps, former Japanese ambassadors to Rwanda, including Ambassadors Imai, Miyashita and Fukushima, private-sector representatives and Friends of Rwanda.

The new honorary consulate is expected to strengthen Rwanda’s connections with the Kansai region by creating more opportunities for collaboration between Rwandan and Japanese entrepreneurs, universities, researchers, young professionals and investors.

It will serve as an additional platform for business, academic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, bringing stakeholders from the two sides closer and supporting new areas of cooperation.

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Ambassador Mukasine expressed appreciation to Honorary Consul Fukuoka for his "commitment to Rwanda and for his contribution to cultivating friendship, understanding and cooperation between Rwanda and Japan.”

She also thanked Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto, who visited Rwanda in May 2016 with a business delegation, as well as the Japanese government and people, the Kansai consular corps, friends of Rwanda and others who contributed to the establishment of the office.