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Former Head of Japan-Turkmenistan Parliamentary Friendship Group Toshiaki Endo Awarded Turkmen Medal
26 Jun. 08:02An official presentation ceremony was hosted inside the Parliament Building of Japan in Tokyo, where Toshiaki Endo, the former Chairman of the Japan-Turkmenistan Parliamentary Friendship Group, was presented with the Jubilee Medal "30th Anniversary of the Neutrality of Turkmenistan" alongside a commemorative silver badge. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, the state decorations were formally presented on behalf of the Government of Turkmenistan by Atadurdy Bayramov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to Japan, honoring Endo’s dedication to expanding bilateral interparliamentary connectivity.
High-level briefings during the ceremony were delivered by Ambassador Bayramov, Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Eri Arfiya, and Shinpei Matsushita, the newly appointed Chairman of the Japan-Turkmenistan Parliamentary Friendship Group. The speakers highly praised the current level of interstate dialogue, specifically isolating Toshiaki Endo's foundational role in boosting cooperative political and legislative diplomacy between both countries. In his acceptance address, Toshiaki Endo extended his profound gratitude to the leadership of Turkmenistan for the high validation of his professional tenure, reaffirming his continued commitment to supporting the long-term expansion of bilateral relations.
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Facing a record drop in fertility rates, Singapore is significantly expanding its family support framework. According to Bloomberg, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced increases in direct financial assistance alongside enhanced housing benefits for young families.
Under the updated policy, every Singaporean child up to the age of 17 will be eligible to receive up to 70,000 Singapore dollars (approximately $55,000 USD) in total support, which includes cash payouts, educational grants, and related benefits. The government is also expanding paid parental leave and capping monthly out-of-pocket costs for government-subsidized childcare at 150 Singapore dollars.
These interventions aim to reverse a severe demographic decline, marked by last year's fertility rate drop to 0.87 children per woman, while over 20% of the country's population is currently aged 65 or older.