JAPAN
SERBIA & JAPAN
140 Years Since Two Monarchs Corresponded By Ivan Mrkić, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia (2012-2014), first Serbian ambassador to Japan (2006-2011), recipient of the highest order awarded to foreigners by Emperor Akihito (2018) Burdened by the prejudice that it’s only what happens now that’s most important and decisive, we often overlook the fact that deep friendships between states are built over centuries, that their formation includes the participation of a large number of historical figures and that, in this case, it all began with an exchange of letters between two monarchs that paved the 9,000-mile road of friendship that we’re now walking
I
had the great honour and pleasure of serving my country as Serbia’s first ambassador to Tokyo. I headed there to begin my service in late August 2006 and remained until May 2011. When I arrived in Tokyo, Serbia was already a separate international player and the successor of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. I would remind you that Montenegro had already left Yugoslavia in May 2006 and Serbia was directly represented in Japan diplomatically for the first time. Departing to a distant country of the Far East represented a special diplomatic challenge. I must admit that I had a very pleasant feeling from my very arrival in that special country. And the main role in that was played by my hosts, because everyone – from officials to ordinary citizens – ensured that I felt hospitality, sophistication and unusual decorum, which creates a special impression about this unusual country. Immediately upon arrival, I began considering how I could draw attention to numerous facts of importance to contacts and cooperation between our two peoples, of which, as it turned out, there were significantly more than what was then known. A detailed and precise review of the history of relations between 16
the two peoples led to the conclusion that the period of Tito’s Yugoslavia was merely an important small part in the generally very diverse, deep and considered relations between Serbs and Japanese. The most pleasant surprise came in the form of a copy of the letter of former Serbian King Milan Obrenović, who wrote in 1882 to inform Japanese Emperor Meiji that, following the Berlin Congress and Serbia’s gaining of full independence, the country decided to declare itself a kingdom to be headed by the author of the letter. The Obrenovićs had practically become a hereditary dynasty in Serbia since the time of Prince Miloš, leader of the Second Serbian Uprising, and with this act it distinguished itself from many other European countries by establishing a royal dynasty from among its own people. The letter arrived via Paris and was written in French, which was commonplace at the time. It is of critical importance that Emperor Mutsuhito (he was only posthumously referred to as Meiji, in accordance with Japanese custom) responded to King Milan very cordially, thanking him for the information received, congratulating His Majesty on his coronation and, among other things, expressing hope and readiness for coope-
ration between the Japanese and Serbian peoples. It is particularly interesting that the Japanese emperor addressed King Milan with the words “dear friend”. The response was delivered through regular diplomatic channel, most likely via Paris, where both countries had diplomatic missions. It should be noted that the text of the response of Japanese Emperor Mutsuhito was also translated into French. It is important to point out that here that we received the copies of these two valuable letters from a great Japanese friend who had access to the archives of the Japanese emperors. This event, which occurred in 2007 at the Serbian Embassy in Tokyo, during the visit of Dr Aleksandar Popović, then minister of mining and energy, marked the 125th anniversary of the establishing of relations between Serbia and Japan. To mark this anniversary in Serbia, the occasion of the birthday of then Japanese Emperor Akihito, on 23rd December, saw the issuing of a jubilee postage stamp and envelope, entitled “First Day” and featuring portraits of the two sovereigns, King Milan and Emperor Meiji. I presented one such envelope to Emperor Akihito following a reception at the Imperial Palace in early 2010.
