Address by President Nelson Mandela at a Luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Tomichi Murayama
South African History Online 
Address by President Nelson Mandela at a Luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Tomichi Murayama
Tokyo, 5 July 1995
Your Excellency, Mr. Tomichi Murayama, Prime Minister of
Japan;
Excellencies;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Since we arrived in your beautiful country, we have been treated with the
kind of hospitality which makes us feel exceptionally important. Your warm
reception has exceeded our wildest expectations. For that we are deeply
grateful.
What must strike any visitor to Japan is the complete recovery you have made
from the devastating effects of war. You have also been repeatedly struck by
natural disasters. And yet, like the daily rising of the sun, your people have
elevated themselves to ever loftier heights. As we set out on our own path of
rebuilding, we shall borrow a few chapters from your experience.
Your Excellency;
The support which Japan gave to us in the struggle to free ourselves from
apartheid is remembered with gratitude by our people. Our victory and our
achievement of democracy is yours, too.
We believe that our task of reconstruction will also become that much more
achievable and more lasting because Japan intends to share in it.
The relationship between our two nations has a long history. Trade with Japan
already looms large in South Africa's relations with the world. But it is only
now, when South Africa has become a democracy and is free of apartheid, that we
can dream of realising the enormous potential for fruitful relations between our
countries and our peoples.
It will be a relationship based on mutual economic interest and shared
commitment to democracy, peace and development. It will draw strength from the
deepening of the warm relations between each of our countries and their
respective neighbours and continents.
The generous package of assistance which your government made available to us
for our reconstruction efforts, so early in the process, is a fine expression of
your commitment to our newly born democracy. It has greatly encouraged us,
particularly in the formidable task of creating the infrastructure essential to
development. We thank you sincerely for it.
We also deeply appreciate the importance of the benefits granted to us under
your Generalised System of Preferences, as a practical and substantial measure
for the promotion of trade.
The talks which we held this morning will definitely take us further towards
our goals. They pave the way for a deepening of bilateral relations in all
spheres.
We are confident that an expansion of economic relations will benefit both
our countries.
For South Africa the benefits will be many and substantial. They reach far
beyond the immediately tangible advantages of increased trade with a large
economy which is an integral part of a continental market.
We do also anticipate that we will learn much from Japan in human resource
development, innovation and work organisation. We will need strength in these
matters as we shift our economy from a focus on primary products to one equipped
to meet the economic challenges of the next century.
Much more frequent exchange between our countries would be of great
advantage, and that too should flow from the discussions which our visit has
made possible. Scientific, technical and cultural interchange, along with
tourism and sport will help broaden our relationship by promoting mutual
understanding between our peoples.
Your excellency;
We are appreciative of the confidence which you have in our commitment to
contribute, on the basis of equal partnership, in the rebirth of our Southern
African region and our continent of Africa.
South Africa is proud to have been able to contribute in small measure to our
region's decisive move towards democracy, peaceful resolution of conflicts and
co-operation for security and development. This has laid the basis for the
rational exploitation of our natural resources, the pooling of technical
expertise, the harmonisation of trade practices, development of infrastructure
and the promotion of economies of scale.
If we lay emphasis on the benefits to ourselves that flow from the developing
relationship between South Africa and Japan, it is not for lack of confidence
that Japan too has much to gain.
In our first year of democracy, South Africa has laid a sound foundation for
sustained growth in a climate which offers substantial opportunity for
productive and profitable investment.
We draw much hope and encouragement from our visit and our talks today. They
help to underwrite a new relationship, one which is not only deeper and broader,
but which is purposefully fashioned towards promoting the values we share:
peace, democracy and prosperity.
Thank you.
