On 16 September, a reception to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the United Kingdom since the signing of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce was held in the Locarno Suite of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Representing Japan was Mr. Shintaro Ito, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, who had flown to the United Kingdom specially to attend the event, while David Miliband, Foreign Secretary, and Lord Malloch-Brown were also present from the UK side. The reception was attended by more than 200 guests, and the original text of the Treaty, which is the only version fully preserved after 150 years, was on display. In addition, a dozen Japanese cars produced in the United Kingdom by Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota were arranged in the courtyard of the FCO to welcome the guests.
In his address, Mr. Ito affirmed that Japan and the United Kingdom shared fundamental values including a commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights, and were strategic partners tackling together various global challenges confronting the international community. For his part, Lord Malloch-Brown described Japan as one of the UK’s most important allies and called for further cooperation, both bilateral and in a multilateral context, on key global issues such as climate change and development.
During his speech, Mr. Ito proclaimed the official launch of JAPAN-UK 150, a series of events in fields such as Art & Design, Theatre & Music, Film & Academia, and Science. The events, more than 100 of which have already been registered, will continue until the end of 2009.
At the end of the ceremony, Lord Malloch-Brown presented Mr. Ito with a replica of the Treaty as a symbol of his vision for an even stronger partnership between the two countries.
Full text of the State Secretary Mr. Ito's Speech
