“I have been told that you have a saying ‘Japana Hapana’. On this trip to Sri Lanka I bring with me the best of the best ‘Japana Hapana’,” he said speaking of the Japanese business delegation that included CEOs from leading companies that specialize in areas such as infrastructure, logistics and maritime security.

 

The delegation included Itocu Corporation Chairman Eizo Kobayashi, Mitsubishi Corporation President and CEO Ken Kobayashi, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Chairman Koji Tanaka, Onomichi Dockyard President Takashi Nakabe, SG Holdings Chairman and President Eiichi Kuriwada, Tomo-Digi Corporation President Hidemichi Shirane and Hitachi Ltd. Representative Executive Officer, Chairman and CEO Hiroaki Nakashini.

 

The Prime Minister also spoke fondly of his visit to the Parliament building in Jayawardenapura Kotte, and said that he keeps the name of the great statesman from whom the name of the city derives ‘engraved in his heart’, as a reminder of the strong friendship that has existed between the two countries since the former finance minister and president J.R. Jayawardena spoke on behalf of Japan’s freedom at the San Francisco Peace Conference.

 

“It is a result of that speech that Japan exists today,” recalled Abe.

In addition to this, Japan’s commitment to support Sri Lankan development is of personal significance to him as well, as the former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, the first Japanese Prime Minister to visit Sri Lanka back in 1957 was his maternal grandfather.

 

On Sunday President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to strengthen relations and develop a new partnership in the maritime sector during the bilateral discussions at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. Following one-on-one discussions, the two leaders joined their respective delegations for extended talks, which focused a considerable amount on strengthening relations between the two nations in the maritime sector and at international fora.