Minister of Foreign Affairs II Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof received the conferment of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, for playing a significant part in enhancing Japan-Brunei Darussalam bilateral relationship.
Established in 1875 as Japan’s first decoration, the prestigious order honours people in Japan and abroad who made outstanding achievements in various fields in society.
The Ambassador of Japan to Brunei Darussalam Maeda Toru awarded the Order to the minister during a conferment ceremony at the ambassador’s residence on Wednesday night, and was witnessed by the minister’s family and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Japanese ambassador said, “On April 29, the government of Japan officially decided to bestow the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun upon Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan.
“The Japanese government originally planned for His Majesty the Emperor to confer the order at a ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Japan. However, due to Covid-19 and the minister’s schedule, it was not possible to do so.
“The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun is one of the oldest and most prestigious orders of Japan to be awarded to those with outstanding achievements in their positions.
Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan has consistently played significant roles in enhancing Japan-Brunei relations for the last decade since he joined the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s young leaders programme in 1992,” Maeda Toru added.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs II said, “I wish to express my appreciation to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, the prime minister of Japan and the government as well as the people of Japan for the prestigious recognition.
“Brunei and Japan continue to enjoy excellent ties underpinned by strong cooperation in trade, energy and people-to-people exchange. Over the years, both countries have built true friendship with one another. This is proven time and time again when we extend assistance to each other in times of need. I believe this is a true reflection of the strong bond of friendship between our people and countries. Last year, we celebrated 50 years of energy partnership which is an important pillar in our relationship together.”
Moving forward, he said, “I believe that there are many more opportunities that can be explored particularly as we celebrate another important milestone on the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year. As an important dialogue partner, Brunei values Japan’s friendship and steadfast support for ASEAN. We look forward for deeper engagement under the comprehensive strategic partnership at the 50th ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit later this year.” – James Kon
