On August 23, Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin visited the Okinawa Prefectural Office to meet with Tamaki Denny, the governor of Okinawa Prefecture, and they exchanged ideas on the matters of mutual interest.

Recognizing that Okinawa’s vision for local diplomacy aligns well with NEAR’s founding spirit, Mr. Lim shared updates with Mr. Tamaki on NEAR’s recent activities and the status of Japanese member-regions. He also introduced major upcoming NEAR events, including the NEAR High-Level Working Committee in September, and the NEAR Subcommittee on Innovation+ in Hunan Province in October, and requested Okinawa’s participation. Additionally, Mr. Lim invited Mr. Tamaki to the NEAR General Assembly next year.

Mr. Lim welcomed Okinawa joining NEAR as an Observer, as a preliminary stage before becoming a regular member, and expressed his hope that Okinawa would find the NEAR platform useful and join as a regular member as soon as possible. 

Governor Tamaki replied that Okinawa places a high value on peace-making process through international cooperation, given that the region is home to residents from over 30 different nationalities. He also conveyed his willingness to advance economic and cultural exchanges with other regions by utilizing the NEAR platform and to engage in peace dialogues.

In addition, he expressed a desire to first join as an Observer to learn more about NEAR and then become a regular member to contribute to expanding international cooperation and promoting stability in Asia.

Prior to his meeting with the Secretary-General, Governor Tamaki announced Okinawa’s intention to join NEAR as an Observer during a regular press conference, stating that Okinawa Prefecture will pursue international cooperation based on an all-encompassing diplomatic approach without targeting any specific counterpart.

Guided by the Okinawa Prefectural Office, Secretary-General Lim visited Okinawa Peace Memorial Park and Museum, where he took a moment to lay flowers in honor of those who lost their lives in the war.

* Relevant news: https://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/entry-3397214.html

**Okinawa Peace Memorial Park and Museum were established to console the souls of those who sacrificed their lives during the war, pass on the lessons learned from the tragedy of war to future generations, share the heart of Okinawa people with the visitors from around the world, and to build lasting peace.