November 19 & 22, 2011

Shii attends Mindan reception

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on November 18 attended a reception hosted by the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan) to celebrate the 65th anniversary of its founding.

Invited as a guest, Shii made a congratulatory speech. In his speech he said, “I sincerely respect the effort you have made to develop friendly relations between the peoples of Japan and South Korea and to defend Korean residents’ rights and livelihoods.”

Shii touched on recent achievements that Koreans living in Japan have worked for and obtained, such as the right to vote in Korean national elections, and that part of the cultural assets (Joseon Dynasty Uigwe) that were stolen from the Korean Peninsula during Japan’s colonial rule has been returned to Korea last month.

Shii expressed his determination to work for voting rights of foreigners in Japan’s local elections and to contribute to furthering the Japan-ROK friendship.

Ogata attends Omani national day reception

Japanese Communist Party Vice Chair Ogata Yasuo attended an Omani national day reception held on November 21 at a hotel in Tokyo.

Ogata offered his congratulations to Khalid Hashil Al-Muslahi, the ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman, and had an opportunity to engage in friendly chats with other participants.