Office of the Consul of Japan to Albania

General Information

Avni PONARI

Honorary Council General of Japan in Albania

Mr Avni Ponari is the Honorary Council General of Japan in Albania, whereas the Embassy of Japan to Albania was officially opened on 1^st January 2017. Mr Ponari is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of SIGAL UNIQA Group Austria sh.a Albania-Kosovo-North Macedonia. as well as director and shareholder of several other businesses such as car concessionary, tourism, and financial businesses. Mr Ponari is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country. His entrepreneurship endeavours have transformed him to become not only one of the top leaders in the business niche but also with a positive developmental impact in the economic, social and cultural spheres of the country.

Awards

These extraordinary and sustainable contributions of an enormous developmental and community value have been the main factors for most of the awards that Mr Ponari has been received and been accorded by Albanian and international institutions such as: Decoration (2019) “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon” by the Japanese Emperor for his extinguished contributions for the promotion of exchanges and strengthening of further friendship relationships between Albania and Japan, and earlier the ‘Recognition Certificate’ by the Japanese Government, in his capacities as the ‘Honorary Council General of Japan in Albania’ (since 2009); ‘GRAND DECORATION OF HONOUR’ by the President of Austria H. E. Mr Alexander Van der Bellen (It is one of the highest Decorations and is conferred by the Republic of Austria to honour people (from Austria and abroad) who have rendered meritorious services to the country. Awards recipients are selected by the Government of Austria and are made by the President of the Republic); ‘Accomplished Leader’ (part of the International Profiles of Accomplished Leaders); ‘Man of the Year’ by the ‘American Biographic Institute’; ‘Manager of the Year’ by the ‘Socrates Committee of Oxford’; Who’s Who (from the ‘International Who’s Who’, a well-known reference book of the internationally notable people, which is published annually since 1935); ‘Fellow’ of ‘Paul P. Harris’ by the ‘International Rotary Club’ (a global network of 1.2 million leaders, neighbours, friends, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change); ‘Peace Cavalier’ by the ‘International Centre for Peace among People’; and the ‘Best Manager’ by ‘Finance Central Europe’. Mr Ponari has been declared ‘Honorary Citizen’ of the cities of Bajram Curri, Durrësi and Elbasani, as well as ‘Personality of the Year’ by different newspapers.