It
is customary for Japan to celebrate its Self-Defense Forces Day, every year on
the first of November, or as close to that date as possible.
This
year, when I hosted a reception for the Self-Defense Forces Day here in
Nairobi, on the 6th of November, it marked an important milestone for this year
is the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
For
the past 80 years, Japan has walked the path of a peace-loving nation and contributed
to international peace and prosperity, always holding firm in our heart the
lesson of history, which we had learnt the hard way.
Japan
shall never alter this course. In corollary, our Self-Defense Forces always
adhere to the basic precepts of exclusive defense under the constitution and
have contributed to peace and stability. This has been done through such means
as Japan’s Emergency Assistance Team, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster
Relief and the UN’s Peacekeeping Operations.
In
Africa, the JSDF have engaged in the UN Peacekeeping Operations in Mozambique
and South Sudan, as well as emergency assistance in Rwanda and West Africa. The
JSDF have also taken part in counter-piracy operations since 2009, by
dispatching their escort destroyers and aircraft to the waters off Somalia and
the Gulf of Aden.
But
this is not all.
Locally,
Japan has supported Kenya’s International Peace Support Training Centre since
2008. Japan appreciates the security challenges that Kenya and East Africa face
and supports the centre's programmes that aim to address them, including
courses on conflict prevention, “women, peace and security”, and maritime
security.
This
year marks the 10th anniversary of the UN Triangular Partnership, a support
framework initiated under Japan's leadership. Earlier this year, at the
Centre’s Humanitarian Peace Support School, our Ground Self-Defense Force
played its role, as it has done before.
This involved facilitation of the
deployment of Peace Keeping Operations in Africa, inter alia, by providing
training for the use of heavy machinery. Japan intends to continue the support
through the Triangular Partnership.
Japan
regards Kenya highly for its prominent role as an ‘anchor’ for the regional
stability. We admire Kenya’s longstanding engagement in this regard, for which
Kenya has committed very substantial diplomatic and peace-support resources,
and which has led to so many remarkable achievements to date for the peace and
security of the region.
Today,
Kenya’s contribution goes on in such numerous conflict zones as Sudan, South
Sudan, the DRC, Somalia and Haiti, just to mention a few. Japan will
ceaselessly commend Kenya’s stabilising undertakings and always aspires to
working with Kenya.
Notwithstanding
the strenuous efforts by Japan, Kenya and many other nations to maintain it,
the free and open international order, based on the rule of law, encounters
unprecedented challenges in various parts of the world at this point in
history.
Now
is the time to strengthen the partnership between Japan and Kenya to counter
the challenges. Through the promotion of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, Japan
wishes to work with Kenya to advance peace, stability and prosperity in the
Indo-Pacific region.
Japan
cherishes the framework, “Statement of Intent on Defense Cooperation and
Exchanges”, between our two countries. President Ruto and the then Prime
Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan agreed on the content and signed it, during the
President’s visit to Japan last year.
Under
the framework, in March this year, our Maritime Self-defense Force sent its
ships Bungo and Etazima for port visits to
Mombasa. That was an important occasion for our bilateral defense exchanges and
cooperation across land and sea domains.
This
is only the beginning, and many more will come. We look forward to further
strengthening the cooperation and, thus, contributing to the peace and
stability of the region.
Our
Self-Defense Forces are, and will continue to be, open for deepening bonds of
friendship and solidarity with Kenya and many countries of the world. Because
this is the way Japan promotes peace and stability of the world.
The writer is the Japanese ambassador to Kenya
