Japanese naval vessel stops over in Port Moresby

THE Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force vessel Izumo arrived in Port Moresby for a four-day stopover on Friday.
Japanese Ambassador Nobuyuki Watanabe said the visit of such a vessel to PNG was not only an embodiment of the strong ties between Japan and PNG but also a great milestone for the future development of exchange between the two countries.
“We have deepened our cooperation and people to people exchange in a wide range of fields including infrastructure, fisheries, forestry, mining, education and health,” he said. Watanabe said he hoped the four-day stopover would provide the opportunity for exchange with local government and military officials.
Commanding officer for Izumo, captain Takemasa Jo said the ship left Japan on May 31 and spent a month sailing across seas before reaching Port Moresby.
“We have developed relations called Kizuna in Japanese,” he said.
“We developed Kizuna in politics and economics as well as national security between countries,”
“Such a relationship can be constructed by sharing a common sense of value, virtues and experiences through interaction.”
He said the international situation was getting more complicated and uncertain.
It was necessary to cooperate with like-minded countries which shared prevailing values, customs and norms cultivated for decades in the global society.
“That’s why we are here this year following JS Makinami, that came two years ago and JS Kirisame that came last year,” Jo said.
Force capability development branch chief captain Peter Tupma said the relationship between PNG and Japan was solid.
“Japan Ground Self Defence Force has extended into civil engineering training for our engineers and we have engaged with your men in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.”
JS Izumo is the largest ship in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) fleet and is equipped with command and communication functions, a multipurpose compartment, making it the flagship of the JMSDF.