Lyonchhoen delivers keynote address in Fukuoka

31 August: Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley delivered a keynote address on Gross National Happiness on August 29 at Fukuoka, Japan, where he will hold high-level meetings with Japanese leaders of industry and commerce.

The prime minister and the Bhutanese delegation arrived at Fukuoka on August 27 to a warm welcome by the Junior Chamber of Commerce International (JCI). At the Haneda airport, en route to Fukuoka, the prime minister was received by Mr. Kojima Inomata, Director General for Southeast and South Asia of the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

During the brief discussions at the airport, Lyonchhoen Jigmi Thinley expressed the appreciation of the Bhutanese government for the assistance received from Japan in key development sectors and briefed him on Bhutan’s development goals.

Later that evening the JCI hosted a dinner for the Bhutanese delegation during which a documentary by Asia Pacific Children’s Convention (APCC) in Fukuoka, one of the social programmes of the JCI was screened. Bhutanese children have participated in many of the APCC programmes.

On August 28, the prime minister met with Mr. Aso, the governor of the Fukuoka Prefectural Government who explained that Fukuoka means happy island; “fuku” means happy and “oka” stood for island. The prime minister also visited an organic farm where he saw how the produce were processed, graded and labeled.

On the same day, professor Hibino, a renowned artist, called on the prime minister and presented an exhibition of the art works by his students and volunteers. Professor Hibino has visited Bhutan twice and facilitated the visit of eight students (junior ambassadors) and an escort teacher from Dagana dzongkhag to visit Japan for two weeks in July, 2009. Professor Hibino also hosted a dinner for the prime minister.

The prime minister will also visit Tokyo and meet with the president of Japan international cooperation agency (JICA), Sadako Ogata, and also attend functions organised by the Japan-Bhutan friendship association and the parliamentary group for Bhutan.

source: kuensel