Minister of Economic Affairs and Investment, Kay McConney, enjoying Barbados’ National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. (C. Pitt/BGIS)
Barbados took centre stage at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, today, Wednesday, September 17, as it proudly celebrated its designated National Day.
The day’s programme featured an official ceremony, followed by a cultural showcase with performances from Edwin Yearwood, Nikita Browne, and Casheda Dottin, supported by the Barbados Expo Band.
During the ceremony, Minister of Economic Affairs and Investment, Kay McConney, underscored the significance of Barbados’ participation in the world exposition, where it is highlighting opportunities for investment, tourism, culture, and sustainability.
“Barbados is proud to be part of this global expo, standing alongside over 150 countries and sharing our story with the world. I wish to sincerely thank the Government of Japan for its kind support in making Barbados’ participation possible at Expo 2025.
“From the outset, the Barbados team has received excellent hospitality, guidance and cooperation, making us feel truly welcomed in this Land of the Rising Sun,” Ms. McConney stated.
The Minister also reflected on the enduring ties between Barbados and Japan, noting the shared values and challenges that connect the two nations.
“Barbados and Japan have enjoyed strong diplomatic relations since 1967. Though we are geographically distant and different in size and in economic power, our two nations share some interesting similarities. Both Japan and Barbados are island nations heavily influenced by the ocean and by environmental and climate challenges.
“We both are active on the world stage, promoting peace, diplomacy and sustainability. We both prioritise education and have highly literate populations. Barbados and Japan are tourist destinations with charming appeal. Additionally, both of our nations rank among the countries with the highest per capita occurrences of centenarians globally. And finally, both of our nations are working towards green development and climate resilience,” Minister McConney noted.
She further expressed the Government’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Japan in areas of mutual interest, particularly as both countries seek to empower their people and advance sustainable development.
Japan’s State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Masaki Ogushi, congratulated Barbados and pointed to the growing relationship, citing the establishment of a resident embassy in 2016 and joint projects on sustainability and resilience.
“Over the past nine years, Japan and Barbados have steadily deepened our bilateral relationship…. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry supports co-creation projects in which Japanese companies collaborate with like-minded countries in various fields, including green transformation… disaster risk reduction… and the Bridgetown Initiative… I sincerely hope that meaningful projects utilising Japanese technology will emerge through our bilateral relationship,” Mr. Ogushi stated.