President Armen Sarkissian met with the representatives of the Armenian community of Japan

In the framework of his working visit to Japan, President Armen Sarkissian and Mrs. Nouneh Sarkissian met with the representatives of the small Armenian community in Japan.

At the beginning, President Sarkissian inquired about their activities, then spoke briefly about the meetings he held during the visit and reached agreements. He noted that there is genuine interest toward Armenia and he has had very concrete talks on what can be done together. According to the President, the areas of cooperation are very precise – modern technologies, emergency situations, trade deals, food export and security. “We have much to learn from them in the area of state governance, because that discipline and dedication, which these people have, are laudable indeed,” the President of Armenia underscored.

Noting that our greatest national treasure are our people, Armen Sarkissian said, “That resource must be used to its utmost. We have brilliant individuals, fantastic people who in different parts of the world, in different areas have achieved great success, and it is time we use their potential.”

Afterwards, President Sarkissian responded to the questions from the audience.

During his working visit President Sarkissian was also at the one of the oldest cities of Japan, Kamakura where he observed the huge bronze statue of Amida Great Buddha, visited Hokoku-ji temple, which is famous for its bamboo forest, and participated at the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

President Armen Sarkissian and Mrs. Sarkissian visited also one of the famous religious sites, Yurigaoka Hachimangu Shinto temple.

The temple, which was built in the XI century and dedicated to god Hachiman, currently is not only a famous historic site but also an important cultural center. After listening to the prayer dedicated to the friendship between Armenia and Japan, President Sarkissian said that our two civilizations – Armenian and Japanese, are very old and have much in common. The President thanked for the beautiful spiritual ceremony dedicated to the Armenian-Japanese relations and hailed the gratifying work aimed at the preservation of the unique Japanese culture and traditions, keeping the amazing temple as a spiritual and cultural center. “Please be assured that upon returning to Armenia, in one of the oldest churches of the world, which is located in Saint Etchmiadzin, together with our spiritual leaders we will pray for the Armenian-Japanese friendship,” President Armen Sarkissian said.