Newsletter. March Latest News. H.E. President Karzai expresses condolences on the passing of H.E. First Vice-President Fahim. Inside this issue:

Transcription

1 March 2014 Newsletter As April marks the start of the school year in Japan, which coincides closely with the start of the school year in Afghanistan based on Nowruz, Afghan New Year, we wish all students success. Latest News This year 1.7 million more children will begin primary education in Afghanistan bringing the total enrolled to 11.5 million, 41% girls. Many are also attending higher education through universities and vocational schools. As Ambassador Dr. Fatimie points out, a nation s young people are its future leaders. Inside this issue: News 1-5 Ambassador s message 2 H.E. President Karzai expresses condolences on the passing of H.E. First Vice-President Fahim Following the passing of H.E. First Vice- President Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, H.E. President Hamid Karzai and many other individuals and organizations expressed deepest condolences. The loss of this man who loved and served his nation resulted in great sadness. Three days of national mourning followed. In his message, H.E. President Karzai lauded H.E. the First Vice-President s patriotism and service to the people. H.E. the President further expressed sincere sympathies to his family and the Afghan people. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie also praised the work of this great man and shared deepest condolences. H.E. Mr. Qanuni appointed First Vice-President On Tuesday H.E. Mr. Younus Qanuni was appointed First Vice-President after receiving the vote of confidence of the Parliament. H.E. First Vice-President Qanuni, a former House Speaker, continues in the noble work of H.E. the late First Vice-President Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim. H.E. First Vice-President Qanuni expressed dedication towards smooth elections on April 5th. (Photograph follows on the next page) (Continued on page 2) 1

2 Afghan Newsletter, News, March November Ambassador Fatimie attends ceremony on 3rd anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tragedies On March 11th, Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie attended the Japanese government-held ceremony at the National Theatre in Tokyo to mark the 3rd anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent tsunami and related tragedies. Around 1,200 people were in attendance, prominently including Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, H.E. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Their Excellencies the heads of the legislative, administrative and judicial branches of the Japanese government, and Their Excellencies the Ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic community in Tokyo. One minute of silence was observed at 2:46 p.m., the time the earthquake struck in 2011, and prayers were offered for those who were lost. H.M. the Emperor spoke, describing the importance of collective support to help those affected. H.E. Prime Minister Abe also spoke, saying the (Continued on page 3) Message from the Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie Dear friends, This month we were deeply saddened over the passing of H.E. First Vice-President Marshal Mohammed Qasim Fahim. H.E. was one of Afghanistan s foremost champions of liberty. His devotion to our people was crucial in bringing freedom and stability. He was an ardent pursuer of peace and cooperation. It is certain that H.E. would be proud to see the legacy of democracy which he helped to ensure continue with in our presidential and provincial shura elections to be held on April 5th. This month, alongside our Japanese friends, we also mourned those lost three years ago due to the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tragedies. In the years since, we have watched Japan rise to the occasion, rebuilding the homes and lives of the victims. We continue to support Tohoku, and admire the courage of the people of this noble region. During this month, we welcome in the Afghan New Year, known as Nowruz. In Afghanistan, the New Year is a time for gathering together families and is observed with many traditions, such as kite flying. On March 1st, we held a kite festival together with friends. The shared culture of kite flying did well to further strengthen the links between our peoples for the 200 some attendees. This year, as always, we hope to continue exploring our shared values and building lasting ties with you, the great people of Japan and the international community here. 2

3 government will speed up rebuilding so that all can return to normal lives as soon as possible. He pledged to make Japan resilient against natural disasters. There were speeches as well from representatives the families from the 3 Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. On the same day, a message of condolence was published by Ambassador Dr. Fatimie in The Japan News, the English language version of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper. The message follows. On this day three years ago, a series of great tragedies unfolded which brought great sadness to my heart: the Tohoku Earthquake and the subsequent disasters. On behalf of the Afghan people, I personally visited evacuees and both our government and embassy provided funds and goods for this region s courageous people. Afghans understand what it is like to restore shattered lives and my country greatly appreciates the kind assistance your noble country has provided us. As our two nations move forward, we do so together. Our people and the inspirational people of Japan walk united into a brighter future. Ambassador Fatimie attends Tokyo Metropolitan Peace Day memorial ceremony Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie on March 10th attended the Tokyo Metropolitan Peace Day memorial ceremony organized by the Metropolitan Government of Tokyo. The annual event is organized to commemorate the victims of war and to heighten public awareness of peace. Speeches were given by such dignified individuals as Hon. Governor Yoichi Masuzoe. Ambassador Fatimie, Embassy host reception to congratulate graduates from PEACE program scholarships On March 7th, Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie and the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Tokyo hosted a reception to honor and congratulate motivated Afghan graduates of Masters and Doctoral programs in Japan who had been provided scholarships through the Japan International Cooperation Agency s (JICA s) PEACE program. The event featured remarks by Ambassador Dr. Fatimie and Mr. Haruyuki Shimada, Advisor to JICA s South Asia Division 2, as well as presentations by the graduates on their respective research topics. In his speech, the Ambassador commended the graduates on their determination and spoke of the importance of using their lessons learned to bring benefit to the people of Afghanistan. The Ambassador then, with the cooperation of Mr. Shimada, presented certificates to the graduates. Newsletter, March 2014 Ambassador Fatimie offers remarks at Afghan Kite Festival On March 1st, Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie spoke to participants of the Afghan Kite Festival in Tokyo. The event was organized by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mrs. Matsunami, and Nittai Ebara Koto High School, with the support of sponsors such as Canon, Aoba Trading, and Jonan Shinyo Kinko. In his remarks, Ambassador Dr. Fatimie expressed, on behalf of the people and Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, deepest gratitude to all who made the event possible and to those who attended the event. Furthermore, the Ambassador spoke on the significant impact that the event had on bringing Afghans and Japanese together through this shared culture of kite flying. In total, around 200 participants joined the event, and millions more were exposed to the event through domestic and international media coverage. Participants were led by Afghan coaches in making kites, 3

4 Newsletter, March 2014 which were then flown. The event also featured a demonstration of kite fighting, a popular pastime in Afghanistan, by Mr. Parwiz Darbar and Mr. Abdul Rauf Logari representing Afghanistan and Mr. Ishikuri representing Japan. Beautiful kites of various sizes and designs were also on display by members of the Japan Kite Association. All guests received an Afghan lunch. Speeches were also made by Mrs. Matsunami and Principle Oishi of Nittai Ebara Koto High School. Achievements of Afghan women hailed Dr. Nasrin Oryakhil of Afghanistan was one of 10 international women awarded by the US Secretary of State s International Woman of Courage Award on March 4, The honor is bestowed upon women who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women s rights and empowerment, according to Wadsam News. The award was presented by H.E. Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom. H.E. First Lady Michelle Obama was in attendance. Dr. Nasrin has worked for the promotion of maternal health and women s health in general in her role as Director of the Malalai Maternity Hospital in Kabul since She is also the president of the Afghan Family Health Association. On International Women s Day, the German and French Embassies in Kabul together awarded Ms. Amena Hassani and Ms. Sharefa Danesh with the Capable Women of the Year Award. Ms. Danesh is an artist active in writing poetry and fictional works as well as in sculpting and drawing, much of which she does for charity. She says that her works are dedicated to those in need. Amena Hassani is a photographer who depicts the lives of Bamiyan s women and children in Bamyan. Japan, US, UK pledge further partnership in infrastructure Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom (UK) have all announced that they are dedicated to continuing to partner in the further development of Afghanistan s infrastructure in such areas as improving and maintaining key roads, power plants, and other infrastructure. Goals for development include ensuring that 90% of the population has access to regional and national roads and increase access to electricity to 50% of all households by H.E. Ambassador Hiroshi Takahashi was quoted by Bakhtar News Agency as saying, the Government of Japan sees infrastructure development as an important pillar of its assistance to Afghanistan, and we hope our contribution will promote further development in the country. Natural resources becoming even more accessible Afghanistan has become the first country to be almost completely mapped (70%) using hyperspectral imaging data in efforts by the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 60 such maps have been released as of mid-march. The data from this research provides a fingerprint that identifies Afghanistan s natural resources. It also has the potential to identify water, biological and natural hazard information. According to a 2001 report by the United States Geological Survey, Afghanistan is a nation rich in natural resources. The value has been estimated to be worth some US$3 trillion. For increased ease in moving resources domestically and abroad, there are plans to build a total of 3,600 kilometers of railroads. The process has already begun. Near the Hindu Kush mountains there is a 75-kilometer stretch of railway that has almost been extended as far as Mazar-e-Sharif. Another 336- kilometers of rail is planned to join Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan and will be supported by the Asian Development Bank. Safi Airways links Herat and Islamabad Safi Airways opened a new route between Herat and Islamabad, Pakistan this month with flights every Tuesday. 4

5 Newsletter, March 2014 Embassy of Afghanistan in Tokyo Azabudai, Minato ward, Tokyo, Tel: / Fax: Website Contact Us If you have any comments, questions or suggestions regarding this newsletter or the Embassy, please send an to the embassy s Public Affairs Officer, Jason Pratt: pratt@afghanembassyjp.org Over 10m saplings to be planted in Bamiyan More than 10 million fruits-bearing and others saplings are to be planted under the Green Evolution Programme in Bamiyan province Water for irrigation, drinking reaching more The Salma Dam (image on previous page) in Herat province has been reconstructed with support from India. The dam will provide irrigation and electricity for thousands. On March 4th, a new canal has begun providing irrigation for 1600 hectare of land in the Khanabad district of Kunduz province. The canal, which was constructed with the support of the United States, will benefit some 5,000 farmers. 14 wells were installed in 11 villages in Chaghcharan, Ghor. This has provided roughly 450 families with access to clean drinking water. objects as well as to survey the environment and reaction accordingly to receive IT training The Ministry of Communication & Information Technology will train over 1000 people in information technology over the next 16 months with the support of the World Bank, two private universities, and an Indian institute. The students will be from both the government and private sector. Trainees will learn networking management and information security, database management, internet design, and software development. International ski event held in Bamiyan An international cross-country skiing competition was held by Baba Mountains in Bamiyan in which roughly 20 Afghans and 20 internationals took part. First and third place were won by Bamiyan s own Ali Shah and Mohammad Sajjad, respectively. Second prize was taken by a Swiss national. Students develop robots capable of high functions The advancement of Afghanistan s technological and education sectors was evidenced further this month. Mohammad Raza Noorzad and Tahmina Jalal Hashimi of Kabul Polytechnic University have built advanced robots. The robots are able to identify and manipulate distant Iodized salt factory starts production Production started on March 15th on an iodised salt factory, to be located in the industrial park in Kandahar province. The creation of iodized salt factories has been a priority over the years. 5