6/29 /2012
H.E. Mr. Al-Otaibi, Ambassador of Kuwait to Japan Gave a Lecture on Kuwait at prestigious Hakuoh University

Prestigious Hakuoh University hosted the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Japan Abdulrahman Humoud Al-Otaibi for a lecture on Kuwait history on Friday, as a part of the Kuwaiti Embassy's cultural and academic program aiming to introduce a larger segment of Japanese society to the history and culture of the nation and shed light on its current standing and contributions within the international community. The ambassador was invited to give the lecture by university lecturer and former Japanese diplomat Professor Masao Kawai, and the venue at the university which is located in Tochigi Prefecture received some 200 people for the lecture, students and professors. Before the lecture, the ambassador met with Vice President Joji Kamioka, with senior university figures present, and discussed issues relating to the cultural and academic exchange between the two countries. The Ambassador briefed his audience on the history of Kuwait starting with its establishment and the first mention of its name in old maps and by historians, and gave an idea about the nature of authority system from the early 1800s, into the independence era, and all the way to present time. He stressed the values on which the Kuwaiti Constitution is based, topped by democracy and Human Rights and shed light on care for women and Women Rights in modern Kuwait. He also shed light on the mission and contributions of Kuwait Development Fund, its economy before and after the discovery of oil, the first boom in the state with the export of oil in June 1946, and the nature of and development in social values and traditions, social security and care systems in the country, and many facets of life in modern Kuwait.

There was also review of the diplomatic relations between the two friendly nations which date over five decades. The level of relations was evident and further bolstered through the visit of His Highness the Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on invitation of Emperor Akihito in March 2012. The invitation came after the devastating quake and tsunami of March 11, 2011 and Kuwaiti support in the aftermath and reconstruction effort. On the financial support to Japan at the time, the Kuwaiti ambassador stressed it was a natural reflection of the close bonds between the two people and countries and is also a means to repay Japan's support during the 1990 Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. Following the lecture, the ambassador welcomed students' questions, and there was special interest in Kuwaiti plans to employ nuclear technology, especially in view of the Fukushima disaster. There was also interest in horizons and potential of cooperation in water desalination technology, and general interest in Kuwait and in visiting it in the future.