Tokyo: HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Japan Hassan bin Mohammed Rafi Al Emadi participated in the opening ceremony of Onagawa Elementary and Junior High School in Onagawa City, Miyagi Prefecture. It is one of the projects funded by the Qatar Friendship Fund (QFF), which is affiliated with Qatar Fund for Development, to reconstruct the areas that witnessed widespread damage due to the earthquake and Tsunami disasters in March of 2011.
HE the Ambassador was accompanied by the members of the embassy, Minister Plenipotentiary Abdullah bin Jassim Al Ziyara and Second Secretary at the embassy Rashid bin Mubarak Al Khater. They were received by HE Mayor of Onagawa Yoshiaki Suda, director of the city's education sector and a number of senior Onagawa government officials.
Welcome speeches were made in which the participants from the Japanese side expressed their thanks and appreciation for the role of the State of Qatar in supporting reconstruction efforts in the affected areas.
HE Mayor of Onagawa appreciated the initiative of the State of Qatar to stand with the Japanese people during the crisis and the kind humanitarian gesture of contributing to the reconstruction efforts in the areas affected by disasters. He said that these areas are gradually returning to normal, thanks to the contributions and achievements of Qatar Friendship Fund.
The school is of great importance to the residents of Onagawa and the surrounding areas, as 90 percent of the schools were destroyed by disasters and many of them have not been rebuilt, HE added. He pointed out that the school is a good model for the reconstruction process and will contribute positively to create an effective and constructive society in these areas.
He stated that Onagawa school will have a good return in terms of consolidating the strong partnership between Qatar and Onagawa, stressing that it will be keen to activate communication channels between students in Qatar and Onagawa to raise generations that work in bridging communication, cooperation and understanding between Japan and the State of Qatar in the future.
For its part, Qatar's embassy provided gifts, including stationery, school supplies and souvenirs to all students of the school (300 male and female students).
Qatar Friendship Fund in Japan contributed with a fund of 10 million dollars to the school project. It was built with a high degree of advanced technologies as a pioneering institution working to provide a high-quality educational environment. The school has a special wing for the State of Qatar that includes posters and brochures introducing Qatari heritage and culture.