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Outgoing Japanese Ambassador, Matsubara Yutaka
Japan is set to appoint a new Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda as the current ambassador, Matsubara Yutaka, will conclude his tenure on December 10, 2024.
The ambassador made a farewell visit to St. John’s on Tuesday, engaging with Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene and Permanent Secretary Ambassador Clarence Pilgrim.
Minister Greene expressed his gratitude to the ambassador and the Japanese government for their longstanding support of Antigua and Barbuda since the establishment of diplomatic relations following independence.
He particularly acknowledged Japan’s contributions, including the donation of equipment to help tackle the annual sargassum seaweed issue.
“The seaweed poses a significant challenge for us as we strive to attract tourists to our country. When it washes ashore from across the Atlantic, it renders our beaches unusable and creates an unpleasant odor as it begins to decompose,” he explained.
The ambassador mentioned that the next funding cycle from the Japanese government will commence in April next year and encouraged the minister to submit requests for support for both the 2025 and 2026 cycles.
He also highlighted that a Japanese professor has been conducting a short course at the University of the West Indies FIC.
In response, Minister Greene thanked the ambassador again for the assistance, sharing that the government has ambitious plans for the university, particularly in developing human resources, and welcomed the specialized training in the blue economy.
He expressed hope that the new ambassador will continue the positive initiatives initiated by Ambassador Matsubara.
Wish we had a proper Japanese Consulate so we didn’t have to fly all the way to Trinidad just to get Japanese travel visas. We have such a good relationship with Japan but it is easier to visit South Korea than it is Japan as an Antiguan.