The Head of State thanked Lithuania’s Honorary Consuls for the invitation to meet and expressed his delight that Lithuania has so many friends in Japan.
“It is thanks to all of you that our bilateral relations are stronger and more productive than ever. For the past three years, Lithuania and Japan have enjoyed a strategic partnership, with deepening economic ties and growing cooperation in the field of security. These achievements are the result of your engagement and networks,” the President pointed out.
Gitanas Nausėda expressed his gratitude to the Honorary Consuls for their active cultural contributions—such as preserving the memory of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat and Righteous Among the Nations who holds a special place in Lithuania’s history, promoting the works of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, and even singing in Lithuanian and playing the kanklės.
The President emphasized the importance of Japan’s appreciation for Lithuanian products—from lasers to frozen baked goods—and noted the expanding cooperation in life sciences and logistics. The relations between the two countries are also greatly boosted by municipal contacts. According to the President, the Japanese municipalities that have forged friendships with Lithuania are becoming hubs for building connections between our nations.
On the occasion of the President and First Lady’s visit to Japan, the meeting was organized and attended by Lithuania’s Honorary Consul General Shigehiro Komaru and Honorary Consuls Takeo Obayashi, Yukio Murase, Masahiro Fujii, and Takeshi Okawara.
The meeting was also attended by the current Japanese Ambassador to Lithuania, Shinsuke Shimizu, as well as former Ambassadors to Lithuania, Tetsu Ozaki, Shiro Yamasaki, Toyoei Shigeeda, and Kazuko Shiraishi. Seiichi Mizuno, President of the Japan–Lithuania Friendship Association (JALFA), and Michiko Hirata, Secretary General of JALFA, warmly thanked the President and First Lady of Lithuania for their attention to non-governmental organizations that play an important role in fostering people-to-people ties between the two countries.
