King Letsie III says he acknowledges the support rendered by the People’s Republic of Japan to Lesotho over the years.

This he said when accepting letters of credence from Japanese Ambassador to Lesotho, Mr. Ushio Shigeru at the Royal Palace in Maseru earlier today, where he noted that Japan provided substantial support to Lesotho on food security, education and health amongst others.

He indicated that many Basotho children continue to receive education in well-constructed classrooms through the support of Japan, adding that the latter contributed in the fight against COVID-19 through provision of medical equipment which enabled Lesotho health workers to boldly fight the pandemic.

He also cited the Tokyo International Conference of African Development (TICAD), saying it is a commendable framework under which Lesotho and underdeveloped African countries have realized their developmental aspirations.

In response, Mr. Shigeru said diplomatic relations between the two countries, which were established in 1971 saw bonds of cooperation in the areas of education, agriculture, climate change and health.

He also pledged to further strengthen these bilateral relations during his tenure of office.