Kazuhiro Hanzaki, Chairman of the Japan-based Enterprise United Co-operative, has expressed profound admiration for Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister following high-level discussions linked to a landmark partnership aimed at expanding employment opportunities for Sri Lankan youth in Japan’s electrical engineering sector.

The remarks came in the wake of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 7 January 2026 between Enterprise United Co-operative and the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency, opening doors for qualified Sri Lankan youth with National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) to seek promising careers in Japan.

Speaking warmly about his experience with the Sri Lankan leadership, Hanzaki said he was genuinely “overwhelmed with the simplicity, dedication, transparency and patriotism displayed by the Foreign Minister especially.”

“When I was to meet with the Minister, I never expected such a gentleman,” Hanzaki shared. “He has made Sri Lanka proud. I will be mentioning this positive political culture change in Sri Lanka to my fellow Japanese businessmen and will encourage them to visit and invest in Sri Lanka. This type of behaviour, support and efficiency is world-class – and this is what the Japanese people expected from Sri Lanka and its leadership for decades.”

Hanzaki’s praise highlights a broader shift in international perceptions of Sri Lanka’s governance and diplomatic engagement following several recent cooperative initiatives between Sri Lanka and Japan, including technical and economic collaborations.

This endorsement from the Japanese business community not only reinforces the significance of the newly signed MoU but also signals a growing confidence among foreign investors in Sri Lanka’s evolving political and economic landscape.