New Japanese ambassador presents his credentials to the president

Nobuhito Hobo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and to the Republic of Maldives arrived in Sri Lanka on 16^th October 2011. Ambassador Hobo succeeds Ambassador Kunio Takahashi who left Sri Lanka on 9^th October. Ambassador Hobo presented his credentials to President Mohamed Nasheed, on 23^rd  October 2011.

Born on 9^th August 1950, he graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University in 1975 and joined the Forestry Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In 1983, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as an officer in the Technical Cooperation Division of the Economic Cooperation Bureau. In 1993, he was appointed as Senior Coordinator, Press Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thereafter, he assumed duties as First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in Indonesia and in 1994, was promoted to the rank of Counsellor at the same Embassy. Since 1996, he served as Director, Multilateral Cooperation Division, Technical Cooperation Division, and Aid Policy Division, respectively of the Economic Cooperation Bureau and Director, Information and Communications Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  In 2001, he assumed duties as Deputy Assistant Vice Minister (Parliamentary Affairs) and in 2003 was appointed as Director General, Policy Coordination Department of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In 2007, he was appointed as Consul-General of Japan at Sydney, Australia and in 2010, he assumed duties as Vice-President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Equipped with a wide experience in the Economic Cooperation Bureau and JICA behind him, Ambassador Hobo is hopeful that he would be able to contribute positively towards further promoting bilateral relations between the two countries.