Published by the government of Zimbabwe
10 October 2008
Harare — The new Japanese ambassador to Zimbabwe yesterday presented his credentials to President Mugabe at State House in Harare.
Speaking to journalists after meeting the President, Mr Morito Koichi said Japan was hopeful that Zimbabwean political leaders would soon work out solutions to problems besetting the country.
"There is hope among the Japanese that challenges being faced in Zimbabwe would be solved very soon," he said.
Mr Koichi said it was his country's hope that this would be achieved without external interference.
However, soon after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations in July, G8 countries, including Japan, resolved to take further punitive actions against Zimbabwe.
Japan hosted the G8 summit in July where the group of developed countries endorsed United States moves to push for sanctions against Zimbabwe at the United Nations Security Council.
This was despite the fact that the main Zimbabwean political parties were in dialogue.
Mr Koichi expressed confidence that Zimbabwe's political leadership would work together for the development of the country.
He said Japan was ready to assist in facilitating development in the country and work with authorities to find solutions to the challenges.
Mr Koichi joined the Japanese Foreign Ministry in 1970 where he held several posts before becoming the first secretary at the Japanese Embassy in Kenya 1991.
In 1995, he was posted to the US as first secretary before he was appointed senior regional co-ordinator for the First North America Division in the Japanese North American Affairs Bureau in 1998.
Before his posting to Zimbabwe, Mr Koichi was a consul in the Japan's Consulate General in San Francisco.
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