WESTMORELAND AND TOTTORI PREFECTURE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP
A decade ago, the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation and the Tottori Prefecture secured a twinning agreement at the Westmoreland Parish Church Hall. Last Monday (Ausgust 31) that relationship was further strengthened by the signing of the Jamaican National Track and Field Team World Athletics Championships Beijing 2027 Training Camp Agreement.
While speaking at the celebratory ceremony, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie expressed gratitude for Japan’s continued support and investment in Jamaicans.
“I believe that today is important in many ways because the relationship with the people of Japan and the people of Jamaica, especially in the area of Local Government, has been an outstanding one,”
“So today, as we celebrate 10 years of real achievements, when I listen to some of what Mayor Delancy spoke about, the exchange students, and the race, I am wondering, how can we extend this to the other Municipalities across Jamaica. This is something that, as the Minister, I am exceedingly happy to be here this afternoon and to commend Westmoreland for maintaining this relationship,” he added.
For his part, Mayor of Savanna-La-Mar and Chairman of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation, Councillor Danree Delancy spoke to the longstanding friendship between the two countries, citing the 1964 diplomatic relations.
“Although this relationship is 10-years old, the relationship between Japan and Jamaica is way past 10 years old, Jamaica and Japan established diplomatic relations from way back in March 1964 and, we have been having good relations since. Relations that have enhanced trade, that has enhanced cultural exchanges… whenever we have people come in from Japan to Jamaica, it is always a joy,”
Meanwhile, Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, His Excellency Kohei Maruyama recalled his experience in Westmoreland in the wake of Hurricane Melissa last October.
“I was deeply moved by the strength and determination of the people, working together to rebuild their communities, following hurricane Melissa… I looked at the beaches of Negril, I was reminded of the white sands and green pines of my own Prefecture Tottori, the green hills of Westmoreland also brought back memories of mountains of Western Japan… What began through athletics have expanded into exchanges among young people,” he said.
Through the Jamaica-Japan (JJ) Partnership, programmes such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) that made a $2-billion investment in 2024 following hurricane Beryl under the ‘Implementation of Emergency Communications System Improvement Project in Jamaica’, and the Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) initiative geared towards encouraging internationalized exchange between Japan and other countries including Jamaica; the relationship between the two countries continues to grow from strength to strength.
To further reaffirm their solidarity to Jamaica, residents of the Tottori Prefecture, donated USD $3750 to support Westmoreland, to assist in their recovery efforts following the devastation left by hurricane Melissa.