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Ambassador Tsuji’s New Year Message |
1 January 2014
I would like to wish everybody a happy New Year. My name is Masaru Tsuji. Last year, mid-November, I arrived in the Netherlands as Ambassador of Japan. Shortly after, I presented my credentials to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and from that moment on, I could officially begin my work as Ambassador in the Netherlands. Before I came here, I had heard stories about the weather in the Netherlands at this time of year, stories such as “It rains very often and you do not need an umbrella, because the wind is very strong as well”. However, although we now have the gloominess so characteristic of winter, I am still surrounded by abundant nature. Even though people are busy, the streets appear quiet, and that makes me look forward to the arrival of a bright spring and summer. It is commonly known that Japan and the Netherlands enjoy a very close relationship in different fields. We have, for instance, the friendship and mutual relationship of trust that we have acquired throughout the long history of exchange in various fields such as culture, arts and science. And, of course, there is a very close relationship between our Imperial Family and the Dutch Royal Family. Moreover, in recent years, we advanced active partnerships in the economic field through trade and investment. Furthermore, The Hague is the site of international judicial institutions such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). And there is the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that recently gained even more international recognition by winning the Nobel Peace Prize. As for me personally, I hope that, with such great bonds between Japan and the Netherlands, I will be able to assist in further deepening the relationships between our two countries as mutual understanding progresses. Also, I hope to contribute to obtaining support for and understanding of Japan’s position in various international institutions. Finally, at the moment there are about 6.500 Japanese residents in the Netherlands registered at our Embassy, and I believe there is a large number of tourists and temporary visitors that come to this country. It is our greatest duty as an Embassy to offer various services to these Japanese individuals for them to stay here without any anxiety. It is also our role to support activities of Japanese companies located here in the Netherlands. I wish you all great happiness and prosperity for this year!
Masaru Tsuji
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