His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam will leave for Tokyo, Japan to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation which begins on December 15.
While in Tokyo, His Majesty is expected to hold separate meetings with His Majesty Emperor Naruhito, Emperor of Japan and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The commemorative summit is expected to adopt a new vision to strengthen and enhance the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
Since the establishment of the ASEAN-Japan Dialogue Relations in 1973, ASEAN-Japan relations have made significant progress including the establishment of the ASEAN-Japan Centre and the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) in May 1981 and March 2006. It also saw the establishment of the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS).
To celebrate this milestone, ASEAN and Japan agreed to designate this year as the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, encouraged people-to-people exchanges and organised commemorative events in various fields including economy, culture, youth exchanges and tourism.
At the Commemorative Summit for the 40th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam as the Chair of ASEAN in 2013, along with other ASEAN Leaders and Japan had adopted a vision statement that promotes cooperation based on the four pillars of ‘Partners for Peace and Stability’, ‘Partners for Prosperity’, ‘Partners for Quality of Life’, and ‘Heart-to-Heart Partners’.
