Public Discussion “Japan’s Diplomacy and Geostrategic Goals”
By Mariam Chanishvili
Friday, March 9
Seminar and a public discussion “Japan’s diplomacy and geostrategic goals” hosted on March 7, by Rondeli Foundation, was conducted by Tomohiko Taniguchi, PhD, Special Advisor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet.
Dr. Tomohiko Taniguchi visited Tbilisi and discussed Japanese diplomacy: how it has developed over the last 150 years and where it is headed to.
Kakha Gogolashvili, Director of the EU Studies at Rondeli Foundation opened the event, while Archil Gegeshidze, the Executive Director of the Levan Mikeladze Foundation made the introductory remarks.
The discussion was attended by the representatives of governmental and non-nongovernmental organizations, diplomatic missions and international organizations, as well as the research institutions. The event was followed by Q&A session.
The event was jointly organized by Rondeli Foundation in partnership with the Levan Mikeladze Foundation and the Embassy of Japan in Georgia.
Established in 1998, the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (Rondeli Foundation) is an independent, non-profit policy think tank dedicated to helping improve public policy decision-making in Georgia through research and analysis, training of policymakers and policy analysts, and public education about the strategic issues, both domestic and international, facing Georgia and the Caucasus in the 21st century.
Tomohiko Taniguchi PhD (national security) is Professor at Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management. Between February 2013 and March 2014, he was Councilor at Prime Minister’s Office. Then and now his responsibilities have included writing foreign-policy speeches for PM Abe.
LL.B. from the University of Tokyo, he spent 20 years with Nikkei Business, a weekly magazine, before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2005 as Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Director General for Public Diplomacy. Until he left the ministry three years later he addressed members of the press and wrote speeches for then Foreign Minister Taro Aso and other national leaders including then PM Shinzo Abe.
He has authored or co-authored more than 10 books on international affairs. He has appeared live more than 250 times on BBC, Al-Jazeera English, CNN, CNA, etc.
The diplomatic relations between Japan and Georgia were established on August 3, 1992. The Embassy of Japan in Tbilisi was opened in January 2009, until then relations with Georgia were covered through the Embassy either in Russia or Azerbaijan.
Japan and Georgia closely cooperate within the framework of the United Nations (UN) and other various international organizations.
