Remarks made by H.E. ESTIFANOS Afeworki, Ambassador of theState of Eritrea and Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps (ADC)in Tokyo on the luncheon held in honor of H.E. Mr. Hisham EL‐ZIMAITY Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of theArab Republic of Egypt to Japan on February 27, 2015.
Your Excellency Mr. Hisham ELI‐ZIMAITY, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egyptto Japan
Your Excellencies and Dear Colleagues,
As you all know, we are here, gathered in this luncheon today, tohonor and bid farewell, our dear brother and colleague, Mr. Hisham
ELI‐ZIMAITY, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of theArab Republic of Egypt to Japan. As we always say when we bid
farewell to our dear colleagues, there is time to come and time to go.
The very special thing about Ambassador ELI‐ZIMAITY departure is,in His Excellency's long experience of diplomatic carrier which hastaken him to Dakar, Senegal; Cairo, Egypt; Geneva, Switzerland; Cairo,Egypt; New York, USA; Cairo, Egypt; Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France;
Islamabad, Pakistan; Cairo, Egypt; Ljubljan, Solovinia; Budapest,Hungary; Cairo, Egypt; Tokyo, Japan; since 1980, speak forthemselves in many words which I have no capacity to fathom andexplain in detail in such a short time and occasion.
The Ambassador has served Egypt the continent of Africa with adistinguished leadership, wisdom, skill in diplomacy marked withsolidarity and friendship which was highly appreciated and valued by
all the members of the African Diplomatic Corps, the delegation of theEuropean union, international organizations in Tokyo and all local
partners of Egypt at different levels in Japan: i.e. politicians,parliamentarians, government bureaucrats, academia, businessleaders and his Excellency's compatriots and friends extending for aperiod of three years since December 5, 2011.
When the Arab Republic of Egypt was faced with all kinds of internaland external diplomatic challenges, pressure, constraints, andproblems, including but not excluding economic and militarypressures in its nation building challenges during his tenure here inTokyo, His Excellency has kept his head high above the clouds,
focused in his mission to communicate and promote to Japan the1strategic importance of Egypt, as well as the continent of Africa.
It is not easy for me to detail how Your Excellency managed toachieve this level of resilience during this luncheon but I am sure you
will shade some light into this phenomenal achievement in yourremarks to Excellencies and Dear Colleagues today.
The recent visit of Prime Minister Abe to Cairo and major bilateralagreements signed by Japan and Egypt on January 18, 2015 clearlyreflect not only the hard work and diplomatic coordination Your
Excellency has put into it to enhance and develop the relations ofboth countries but it shows great personal influence and capacity forachievement for these kinds of diplomatic success of Your
Excellency’s during the last three years tenure in Tokyo.
Your Excellency have also shared graciously Your long time
experience of diplomacy in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asiawith our African Diplomatic Corps (ADC) by Your active participationin the activities of the group which were seldom influenced by thevolatile situation daily unfolding at home. Let me assure YourExcellency, on behalf of all Excellencies and Dear Colleagues present
and myself in this farewell luncheon, that we all the members of ADC
hope and promise, on this occasion, to continue on the same path, asindividuals as well as a group, in our collective diplomacy here in
Japan after Your Excellency’s departure and elsewhere where ourdestiny might take us. We promise Your Excellency that theaspirations of the founding fathers of Africa, like Egypt's Jamal Abdel
Nasser, member states and most of all the peace, stability, prosperity,cooperation and unity of the people of Africa shall always remain themain pillar of our engagements with Japan in our collective
diplomacy.
Egypt is not only a one of the major cradle of Civilizations in Africa,
with over 88 million inhabitants, Egypt is the largest country inNorth Africa and the Arab World the third‐largest in Africa, and thefifteenth‐most populous in the world. It is part and a strategic bridgeof the Middle Eastern, Red Sea and Nile Basin countries in the region
across the coast of Europe and Asia Minor. The strategic importanceof Egypt is not only appreciated by African and Middle Easterncountry but globally.
With this short statement, I would like to call for a toast, on this2

occasion:
For the good health and best wishes to Your Excellency, Your
Excellency’s best half, Mrs. Fayza El‐ZIMAITAY and son;On behalf of the ADC and myself I would like to seize this occasion tothank Your Excellency, once again, for the great support Your
Excellency gave to the African Diplomatic Corps activities here inTokyo; andCall Excellencies and Dear Colleagues to join me and raise their glass,Kampai!!

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