Kathmandu, August 6:

The Coordinating Council for Golden Jubilee Celebration of Nepal-Japan Diplomatic Relations today felicitated former foreign minister KP Sharma Oli and Japanese ambassador to Nepal, Tsutomu Hiraoka, for their outstanding contributions in strengthening the relations between Nepal and Japan.

Speaker of parliament Subash Chandra Nembang presented a letter of appreciation to Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan on behalf of Oli. He also released a souvenir on the occasion of the closing of the year-long golden jubilee celebrations marking the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan.

Nembang wished for deep and cordial relations between the governments and general people of the two nations. He said, "Support from a country like Japan will go a long way in conducting the constituent assembly elections."

He thanked Japan for providing support to Nepal and expressed hope that the relations between the two countries will grow from strength to strength.

Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan said that Japan has been the most reliable partner for Nepal in terms of export of Nepali products in the past five decades. "Cultural exchanges have helped strengthen bilateral relations over the years."

The relations between Nepal and Japan will be further diversified and strengthened in the years to come, Pradhan said.

Ambassador Hiraoka said that the souvenir has played a crucial role in the promotion of Nepal-Japan relations. He appreciated the council for celebrating the golden jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan by organising different programmes throughout the year.