ASEAN Welcomes Japanese Ambassador

The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, today received the Letter of Credentials from the Japanese Ambassador to ASEAN, Mr Takio Yamada, in a simple ceremony held at the ASEAN Secretariat. Ambassador Yamada is the first dedicated Ambassador to ASEAN who is based in Jakarta. The other Ambassadors to ASEAN residing in Jakarta are also concurrently Ambassadors to Indonesia.

When receiving the Ambassador, Dr Surin conveyed his confidence in Ambassador Yamada’s contribution towards a more productive and constructive ASEAN-Japan relations. “Ambassador Yamada’s appointment will further enhance the coordination of our cooperation,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Yamada said that his appointment is a clear testimony of Japan’s commitment to further strengthen its partnership with ASEAN.

As stipulated in the ASEAN Charter, non-ASEAN Member States and relevant intergovernmental organisations may appoint and accredit Ambassadors to ASEAN. The accreditation will accordingly be decided by the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN.

ASEAN and Japan first established informal dialogue relations in 1973, which were later formalised in 1977.