KATHMANDU: Japanese ambassador to Nepal Kikuta Yutaka has handed over the 2023 Spring Imperial Decoration, Order of Japan (the Order of Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays) to Amira Dali – a former President of Nepal AOTS Alumni Society.
According to a statement issued by the Japanese embassy in Kathmandu, Dali was awarded the decoration on April 29, 2023, in recognition of her contribution to promoting friendly relations and mutual understanding between Japan and Nepal, especially in the area of economics and business, as the President of the Nepal AOTS Alumni Society.
Nepal AOTS Alumni Society is a non-governmental and not-for-profit organization of ex-trainees for the Japanese training scheme, the Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS).
Dali also has a long experience in enhancing the economic cooperation between Japan and Nepal. After completing her Master’s degree in Japan, she worked at the Nepal office of a Japanese trading company and took charge of designing several ODA projects for Nepal. Moreover, as a founding member and the President of Love Green Nepal, a Nepali NGO, she has been committed to supporting the Nepali people at the grassroots level and has facilitated people-to-people exchanges between Japan and Nepal through NGO activities, such as providing scholarships and dispatching young Nepali women to be trained in Japan, as well as accepting student interns from Japanese universities.
According to the statement, Japanese decorations are conferred upon foreigners twice a year, on April 29 and November 3, concurrently with the conferment of decorations and medals on Japanese nationals.