KATHMANDU: President of the JICA Alumni Association of Nepal (JAAN), Dr Ram Chandra Bhusal, has been elected as the President of the JICA Alumni Associations’ Forum of SAARC Countries (JAAFSC).

He was elected unopposed during the election of JICA alumni from the SAARC region, held after a three-day international seminar in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. The seminar was held on the theme “Japan’s Contribution to the Social and Economic Development of South Asia.”

Dr Bhusal, who has now been elected President of JAAFSC, is the current President of JAAN. He had been serving as the Secretary General of JAAFSC from 2017 until the present.

In the international seminar, which was attended by JICA alumni from across the SAARC region, Dr Bhusal and JAAN Vice President Dr Kiran Rupakhetee delivered presentations on behalf of Nepal. A six-member team from Nepal, led by Dr Bhusal, participated in the seminar.

Speaking at the seminar, the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Akiko Isomata, stated that JAAFSC, as an umbrella organization of the SAARC region, has been playing an important role in maintaining cordial relations between Japan and SAARC countries and contributing to social and economic development.

He expressed his expectation that JAAFSC would continue to play such a role in the future as well. He also mentioned that such seminars help alumni members from different countries to exchange knowledge and experiences.

Kenji Kuronuma, Chief Representative of JICA Sri Lanka, said that since social and economic development is a priority for all nations in today’s world, international cooperation and goodwill are essential.

Therefore, networking, coordination, and unity among members of JAAFSC in different countries are important, and JICA will continue to support JAAFSC programmes, he added.

Dr Bhusal, President of both JAAFSC and JAAN, stated that Japan has been providing selfless, reliable, and sustainable support to the SAARC region.

He emphasized that from Japan we should learn honesty, accountability in responsibility, discipline, punctuality, and the hardworking attitude that Japanese people demonstrate in their respective professions.

Chairing the seminar, S. M. Sathiacama, President of the JICA Alumni Association of Sri Lanka, said that their alumni association had received the opportunity to organize such an international seminar for the first time.

He noted that the seminar would further strengthen the cordial relationship between Japan and Sri Lanka and also enhance relations between Japan and the SAARC countries.

During the programme, JAAN’s General Secretary, Ms Shanti Laxmi Shakya delivered a presentation on JAAN’s activities, while the General Secretaries of JICA alumni associations from other SAARC countries presented the activities carried out in their respective nations.

JAAFSC was established in 2008 as an umbrella organization of JICA alumni in the SAARC region, and its Secretariat has been based in Kathmandu, Nepal since 2017.