PM Gonsalves given Japan’s highest award

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves was conferred one of Japan’s highest decorations in recognition of his contributions towards strengthening the relationship between St Vincent and the Grenadines and Japan.

Gonsalves received the The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun on Friday, August 23, 2024 at a ceremony held at the official residence of the Prime Minister and attended by Members of Parliament, senior civil servants and a Japanese delegation led by Ambassador of Japan to St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Yutaka Matsubara.

During his acceptance speech, the prime minister said the conferment of the honour represents an “important symbolic event” for the strengthening of relations between Japan and SVG.

In highlighting the “bond” shared between the two countries, Gonsalves said it goes deeper than bilateral relations and also includes the shared understanding of the need to defend against “global bullies”.

“Japan and St Vincent and the Grenadines share a common set of values. Democratic values and deeply grounded in our respective civilizations. We also have an aversion to global bullies. You face bullies in Asia and we face bullies in our hemisphere so we have an instinctive understanding of the importance of defending our sovereignty and our independence and to avoid interference in the internal affairs of other countries,” the SVG leader said.

“ We subscribe to the Charter of the United Nations and the precepts therein, we have been partners in all multilateral settings and we have built productive bilateral relations and during the last 23 years and more of my Prime Ministership, those relations have been strengthened immeasurably … because of the commitment of successive government with the people of Japan.”

Gonsalves went onto say that he notes the significance of the conferment of the honour especially considering that sitting Heads of Government rarely receive Japanese declarations.

“I note that you have said that sitting heads of government rarely receive the declaration of this type and we in St Vincent and the Grenadines are all the more grateful and thankful for this very special consideration. I want you to convey to his Excellency the Prime Minister, our deep felt appreciation and my own personal connection to the message he has sent this evening.”

In addition to congratulatory messages from the Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida who expressed sadness for the devastation experienced from Hurricane Beryl, Prime Minister Gonsalves also received messages from the widow of late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – Japan’s longest serving prime minister who was assassinated in July 2022.

“In these times of heightened global tension I admire your leadership in tackling various challenges day by day,” Ambassador Matsubara read from a letter penned by the late PM’s widow, Akie Abe.

Gonsalves said he had a good friendship with the late Japanese prime minister and described his death as tragic.

The Orders of the Rising Sun was established in 1875, and is conferred on foreign and Japanese nationals for their significant contributions to advancing relations between Japan and its partners.