The following is a farewell message from former Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, who took up his position in the Netherlands in October 2012 and who left this country mid-July 2013.

“I trust that this message finds you all well and that you are enjoying the long-awaited summer weather.
On a personal note, I must inform you that I have just recently received orders to return to Japan, and I will depart from the Netherlands on 19 July.

I would like to take this opportunity to offer my thanks for the suggestions and support I received from so many people since I arrived here last October. At the time of my arrival, I did not expect that my tenure would be this short. I had hoped to meet you more often and to learn more of your activities in the Netherlands. I also would have liked to hear more of your thoughts on the future relationship between Japan and the Netherlands, as well as the bond between Japan and Europe. Much to my regret, this is no longer possible.

Although these ten months were short, they were intensely fulfilling for me, both personally and professionally. In January, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix, to whom I had the honour to present my credentials the previous November, announced her plan to step down from the throne.  The abdication ceremony and the investiture of the new sovereign King Willem-Alexander were held on 30 April. Their Imperial Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Japan came to attend these historic events. Their presence reinforced the ties with the new King and Queen and was a significant step in the strengthening of the friendship between Japan and the Netherlands.

As for dialogue on a political level, the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fumio Kishida, visited The Hague at the beginning of April and held close consultations with the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frans Timmermans. Furthermore, with the visit of Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Senior Vice-Minister of the Cabinet Office, Yasutoshi Nishimura, high-level discussions on the relationship between Japan and the Netherlands continued. In addition to these discussions, they were able to see at first hand, the present state of the Dutch agriculture and food industry.

In the field of economics, it was decided in March that negotiations on an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Japan and the European Union would be started, after which intensive talks followed. I sincerely hope that the conclusion of a high-level Economic Partnership Agreement will give another impulse to the economic relationship between Japan and the Netherlands.

In light of the growing attention for the political and economic developments in Japan this year, I made numerous efforts to keep the Dutch population abreast of the actual situation there. In this regard, I diligently conducted an exchange of opinions with the leading newspapers in the Netherlands.

I also placed great emphasis on providing adequate service to all the Japanese nationals residing in the Netherlands. Preparations for the establishment of a council on safety precautions for Japanese nationals overseas are now in progress. The support for Japanese-affiliated enterprises was also a very important topic during my tenure here and I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in meetings of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Netherlands and visit individual companies. During these meetings I confirmed the support we as the embassy could provide.

Another topic high on my agenda was the promotion of the relationship between Japanese and Dutch local communities. Earlier this year the mayors of Leiden and Rotterdam visited Japan and in return the mayor of Fukuoka came to the Netherlands. It would be great to see this cooperation between the local governments of Japan and the Netherlands continue to flourish.

In the field of culture, the Japanese Garden in Clingendael on the outskirts of The Hague celebrated its hundredth anniversary at the annual opening in April. I was privileged to attend this very special event and to be able to offer my congratulations. Two months later, in June, I attended the annual and increasingly popular Japan Weekend held at the Japanese garden in the “Orangerie” in Den Helder. This turned out to be a great and significant experience to me.

While my tenure was short, I was proud to have been given the opportunity to play a small part in Japanese-Dutch relations and contribute to the friendly relations between our two countries.

During my stay here, many activities of the international organisations took place in The Hague, such as the Conference of States Parties of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) that takes place every five years, and the Assembly of State Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC). I made an effort to contribute to these conferences.
The Review Conference of the CWC deserves a special mention, not only because I was deeply involved in this process from January until mid-April, but particularly because it managed to produce a fruitful outcome.

The big challenge for us at the International Court of Justice was the case concerning whaling in the Antarctic, which Australia brought against Japan. The hearings of this case were held at the Peace Palace from 26 June until 16 July. Having been involved in this international lawsuit for the past three years, I was relieved that the proceedings ended peacefully.

My ten-month tenure was certainly brief and there still remain a lot of issues to be done, but the Embassy of Japan will continue to make its utmost effort to meet your expectations. I sincerely hope that you will continue to honour the embassy with your suggestions and counsel.”

18 July 2013
Ambassador of Japan to the Netherlands
Yasumasa Nagamine

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