To celebrate the 63rd Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor Naruhito, the Ambassador of Japan H.E. Mr. WADA Mitsuhiro hosted a reception at a local hotel in Islamabad on February 23rd. H.E. Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Minister for Human Rights, was the chief guest on the occasion. The reception was attended by the Ministers, Parliamentarians, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic community and other dignitaries from the public and private sector. Ambassador WADA together with the distinguished guests cut a cake to mark the His Majesty the Emperor’s Birthday, which is on February 23rd. Since his accession to the throne on 1st May 2019 as the 126th Emperor of Japan, His Majesty the Emperor Naruhito stands as the symbol of Japan and the unity of the people. His Majesty and the Imperial Family also facilitate the good relations with foreign countries including Pakistan. While welcoming the guests on the occasion, Ambassador WADA stressed Japanese businesses’ high expectation in new business opportunities in Pakistan, referring to recent investments by Japanese companies. The Ambassador also emphasized that among the approximately USD 77 million that was announced at Geneva Conference, around half of its humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance has already been disbursed. He expressed his gratitude to the people of Pakistan for showing their trust and affinity toward Japan, and stated the commitment to continue his efforts to further strengthen bilateral relations.