In this message, the Sovereign expressed his heartfelt congratulations and sincere wishes of health and happiness to the Emperor of Japan and the august imperial family and of further progress and prosperity to the Japanese people.

   HM King underlined on this occasion his great pride as to the historic friendship, understanding and mutual esteem uniting the Sovereign and the Emperor of Japan and the two royal families, as well as his satisfaction with the constant development of the fruitful relations of cooperation and active solidarity between the two countries.

    The Sovereign also reaffirmed his determination to continue to work together with the Emperor Akihito and the Government of Japan to strengthen and expand these relations to the best of the two peoples and in service of dialogue, cooperation and complementarity between the North and the South.