Kurumaya’s tenure ends, new Japanese envoy named

KABUL (Pajhwok): Outgoing Japanese Ambassador Takayoshi Kurumaya on Sunday announced the end of his diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, with Masamoto Kenichi set to succeed him as Japan’s new ambassador to Kabul.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Kurumaya paid a farewell visit to Foreign Minister Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

During the meeting, Ambassador Kurumaya confirmed the end of his tenure and introduced Masamoto Kenichi as his successor.

He spoke positively about Afghanistan’s recent progress, particularly in the areas of nationwide security and stability and expressed hope that remaining challenges would be addressed through constructive engagement and dialogue.

For his part, Foreign Minister Muttaqi commended Kurumaya for successfully completing his mission and acknowledged the longstanding, positive relationship between Afghanistan and Japan.

He also emphasized the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s continued constructive engagement with regional and international partners over the past four years.

kk/sa