NC senior leader Poudel among 117 to receive 2020 Spring Imperial Decorations

Published On: April 29, 2020 11:27 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, April 29: Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel will be among 117 foreigners to receive this year's spring decorations for their remarkable contributions in enhancing relations with Japan, the Japanese Embassy in Kathmandu said on Wednesday.

The Government of Japan announced the foreign recipients of the 2020 Spring Imperial Decorations earlier today, according to the embassy.

However, the award ceremony, which was to be held in May at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Poudel, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, will receive the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in recognition of his contributions towards strengthening the relationship between Japan and Nepal, the embassy said in a press release.

Poudel, 76, contributed to the activation of contacts between parliamentarians of the two countries. He established the Japan Nepal Friendship Parliamentarian League in 1999 when he was the Speaker of the House.

He was the first Chairman of the League from the beginning until 2017. He was also actively involved in the promotion of bilateral relations by receiving many VIPs from Japan such as Prince Akihito and Her Highness Princess Michiko, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, Minoru Kiuchi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, and others. Furthermore, he participated in the 40 year, 50 year and 60 year anniversaries of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and made congratulatory statements.

Japanese decorations are conferred upon foreigners twice a year, on April 29 and November 3, concurrently with the conferment of decorations and medals to Japanese nationals.

The Order of the Rising Sun is bestowed upon individuals of merit, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the nation or public. This is also conferred upon foreign nationals who have made notable contributions to the promotion of relations between Japan and other countries in areas such as politics and diplomacy, research and education, medicine and social welfare, economy and industry, and culture and sports.