Mr. Iehsi’s speech after conferment of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
Statement by Honorable Ieske K. Iehsi, Former FSM Secretary of Foreign Affairs, on the The occasion of the Bestowal of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun upon him, at the Embassy of Japan, February 25, 2022. In keeping with the traditional customs of our respective nations, please permit me to preface my statement by paying my OJIGI to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and my customary respects to the Traditional Chiefs of Pohnpei and the FSM. Your Excellency MICHIGAMI, Hisashi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan, Governor Oliver, President Haglelgam, Deputy Secretary Cantero, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. I cannot begin to say how surreal an experience this is … a son of Micronesia was just being honored by a personal representative of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan–this is recognition beyond comprehension. And for those of us who have Japanese ancestry – and are profoundly grateful for it – this is a particularly poignant moment. For me personally, I feel like the spirits of my MASAOKA family ancestors are at this very moment standing elatedly at attention, just as I am today. I am deeply grateful to His Majesty the Emperor and the Government of Japan for gracing me with this highest honor for a foreigner. This Imperial honor makes the point that our two peoples have much in common. We are both island peoples – we look to the sea for our sustenance, and for our future. We both understand, cherish, practice and live the importance of tradition and ceremony. We both place value on an individual’s honor and integrity. We understand that honor and integrity are truly a man or woman’s bond. And we both are peoples with long memories. We do not forget who are our friends, even with the passage of time. I have had the honor of serving my country in a number of leadership roles from the earliest days of independence. And whether it has been as an assistant and advisor to the president, or as foreign secretary, or in the private sector in recent years, it has always been with the knowledge that Japan is, one of our oldest, closest and truest friends. Thus, it has been a natural instinct to look for ways to strengthen the bonds of friendship between our two countries and peoples. In the process, kizuna or the relationships that bring our two nations together, cannot help but grow stronger. Technically, we have had a formal diplomatic relationship since August 5, 1988. That was when we established formal ties. And it is a date I remember well, having served as Chief of Staff at the time to President John Haglelgam. In that position, I worked closely with the FSM Foreign Affairs Department to establish our government-to-government relationship. I also made a modest contribution to our bilateral relations when I served as Vice Chairman of the Micronesian Maritime Authority (MMA) from 1988-1991. That was the organization that negotiated fisheries cooperative agreements with the Japanese fishing industry, and the predecessor of now NORMA. I believe both our countries mutually benefitted immensely from the implementation of a balanced approach to harvesting as well as conservation of our tuna fish resources in our waters. On this note, I must mention my appreciation in absentia, to my late Chairman of MMA who later became FSM Supreme Court Chief Justice, The Honorable Andon Amaraich, who led our FSM negotiating team and often successfully concluded our negotiations to the satisfaction of both sides, through a combination of his good personal attributes and finessed negotiation skills. There were many other highlights. But I would rather focus on how both of our countries are better for strengthening our relations in so many ways to find common ground., I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge a Micronesian colleague who was the first citizen from our nation to be honored by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. He is, Ambassador Kasio Mida, who headed our diplomatic mission in Tokyo. We have been friends and colleagues since independence, and I can think of no person who better exemplifies the values of kizuna than Ambassador Mida. I also offer my heartiest gratitude to five of our former Presidents – Nakayama, Haglelgam, Olter, Nena, and Falcam – for asking me to serve in their administrations for a total of 24 years. I gratefully share this honor with my family. It has been because of their support and infinite patience that I have been able to do the things that have led to this moment. I thank them and thank everyone here today for your unwavering friendship and support. Finally, to mark this historic occasion, I present this memento to you Ambassador MICHIGAMI. This handcrafted souvenir will serve as a permanent reminder, of our mutually strong and growing relations between Japan and the Federated States of Micronesia. Domo arigato gozaimasu. Thank you very much, Kalahngan en kupwur koaruhsie oh Kaselehlie!
