Speaker awarded Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
Speaker of Parliament, Honourable Theo-Ben Gurirab (left) with his wife, Joan Guriras, Edgardo Angara of the Phillipines and his wife, and on the right, Francois Fillon from France who received the same order.
The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State.
The order is awarded to those who have made distinguished contributions in international relations, or who have helped promote Japanese culture, or who have excelled in advancements in their field, or who have contributed to social welfare or who have supported conservation of the environment.
In this regard, Speaker Gurirab has been awarded the cordon because of his contribution to the strengthening of the relationship between Japan and Namibia and to the promotion of Japanese diplomacy in Africa.
Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, who is currently the Speaker of the National Assembly is a former President of the United Nations General Assembly and also served as the country’s Prime Minister from 2002 to 2005 after his position of Minister of Foreign Affairs since Independence until 2002.
