Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon. Peter Shanel Agovaka on Wednesday morning met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, His Excellency Takeshi Iwaya, in Tokyo.
Minister Agovaka is leading the Solomon Islands delegation to Japan for the National Day celebrations of Solomon Islands at the ongoing 2025 Osaka Expo.
During the meeting, Minister Agovaka expressed his gratitude to the Government of Japan for the warm welcome and for inviting him to serve as Chief Guest at the Solomon Islands National Day event, which takes place on Thursday, 2 October.
He expressed deep appreciation for the enduring friendship between Solomon Islands and Japan, noting that this year marks the 47th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Minister Agovaka reaffirmed that Japan remains a key bilateral partner for Solomon Islands, highlighting the shared values of peace, democratic governance, rule of law, and regional cooperation.
He also acknowledged Japan’s longstanding support towards Solomon Islands’ social, economic, and infrastructure development, which continues to strengthen the nation’s human resource capacity.
Whilst in Tokyo, Minister Agovaka also paid a courtesy visit to the Chidori ga Fuchi shrine and paid respect to the souls of Japanese soldiers who lost their lives fighting WWII in Solomon Islands.
The Minister also met with the Japan’s PALM Ambassador, Mr. Okuyama, following his meeting with H.E. Takeshi Iwaya.
Minister Agovaka will travel to Osaka to join Solomon Islands’ National Day program at the Expo later in the afternoon.
He will be joined by Minister of Commerce and Trade, Hon. Harry Kuma, and Minister of Culture and Tourism, Hon. Choylin Douglas.
–MFAET PRESS RELEASE
