As the first Sri Lankan envoy to undertake an official visit to Okinawa, Ambassador E. Rodney M. Perera called on the Governor of the Prefecture of Okinawa in Naha, Denny Tamaki, in order to establish fruitful links of cooperation between Sri Lanka and Okinawa.
As a region known for its maritime links and tourism, Governor Tamaki highlighted the establishment of a new department in the Okinawa administration focusing on regional foreign affairs in order to strengthen ties with countries such as Sri Lanka. He also stated that Okinawa is a prefecture where foreigners find it easy to work and that he expects an increase in job opportunities for Sri Lankans.
During the discussion, Ambassador Perera emphasized the importance of bilateral linkages in areas such as environment, agriculture, education, and trade, as well as maritime cooperation to meet the challenges of food, economic and energy security. Since Sri Lanka has a trainable young workforce and can make more human capital available to support Japan to overcome its labour-related challenges, Ambassador Perera also suggested developing a pilot program that provides specific training for tourism and agriculture, among other sectors, in Okinawa.
Governor Tamaki expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Perera for the visit and stated that the discussion provides an ideal opportunity to enhance ties between Okinawa and Sri Lanka and that his office is available to move the discussion forward on the Ambassador's proposal.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Tokyo
21 April 2023
