President Munyagibasha conveyed his gratitude to the city of Hachimantai for its offer of the partnership and said he expects further fruitful cooperation
HACHIMANTAI, Japan, May 17, 2018,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- On May 15, a signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Sports and Culture (MINISPOC) for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Hachimantai City and Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee (RNOSC) on the host town partnership for the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020. Mr. Masahiko Tamura, Mayor of Hachimantai, and Amb. Valens Munyagibasha, President of RNOSC, signed the MoU as the main signatories, as well as H.E. Ambassador Takayuki Miyashita and Mr. John Ntigengwa, Permanent Secretary of MINISPOC, as witnesses.
President Munyagibasha conveyed his gratitude to the city of Hachimantai for its offer of the partnership and said he expects further fruitful cooperation. Noting that his city has been developing good relationship with Rwanda on the floriculture of quality gentian flowers called Ashiro, Mayor Tamura said he is delighted to have concluded the long-awaited host town partnership with RNOSC. He also said that he hopes the exchanges between both sides will be widened due to the MoU, expecting that good exchanges will last even after the Olympic Games.
Ambassador Miyashita pointed out that, while he has witnessed active exchanges at the governmental and business levels, there had been a gap to bridge in terms of people-to-people exchanges. He expressed his hope that the MoU will enable the Rwandan National Team to come into direct contact with the local people of Hachimantai City, facilitating exchanges at the grassroots level. He also encouraged RNOSC to qualify as many Rwandan athletes as possible for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.
According to the MoU, the Japanese side covers the expenditures which will be incurred during the stay of the Rwandan National Team before and during the Olympic Games, whereas the Rwandan side carries transfer costs between Rwanda and Japan and insurance. The Rwandan National Team is also supposed to contribute to the regional revitalization of Hachimantai City through sports exchanges with its local population.
Among others, it is highly expected that athletes in the field of road bicycle racing, long-distance race as well as female beach volleyball will be qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Embassy of Japan in Rwanda.
