Tokyo-Press Office-08/03/2017

H.E. Yousef Bilal, Qatar’s Ambassador to Japan, received in his office at the Embassy, H.E. Yoshiaki Suda the Mayor of Onagawa and his accompanying delegation. Onagawa is a coastal town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

During the meeting, an agreement on the construction of a multi-stage school project (Elementary, Middle and High schools) in Onagawa was signed. This project is one of the projects funded by the Qatar Friendship Fund (QFF) in Japan. This fund was established by the State of Qatar for the people of Japan following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, for the relief efforts and reconstruction of the areas that have experienced widespread destruction.

After signing the agreement, the mayor said the project represents a great importance for the inhabitants of Onagawa and neighboring areas, because 90% of the schools have been destroyed and many of them are not reconstructed yet. The mayor described the project as a good model for reconstruction and will contribute positively to the creation of a productive and effective community in these areas.

The Mayor further elaborated that, the school project, which is expected to be completed to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics starting in 2020, will have a good payoff in terms of consolidating the strong partnership between Qatar and Onagawa, asserting that the school will work to activate the channels of communication between pupils and students in Qatar and Onagawa.

The Mayor draw attention to the pupils and students who will spend nine years of learning at this school and said; they will get acquainted with the state of Qatar and its people and understand deeply the Qatari culture, and that will strengthen the interaction and interdependence between the two sides and support the upbringing of generations that will work in bridging up the communication, cooperation, and understanding between Japan and the State of Qatar in the future.