Africa-Press – Angola. The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, returned to the country on Sunday (24), after co-chairing the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, in his capacity as the presiding African Union Chairperson.
At the event’s opening address, João Lourenço highlighted Japan’s role in promoting cooperation with Africa through the International Conference, a mechanism created in 1993 that has established itself as an essential platform for dialogue and consultation for the continent’s development.
He warned of the barriers that continue to limit Africa’s access to international financing, a situation that, he said, slows the implementation of the development agenda.
He stressed that the credit ratings assigned to many African countries classify them as “high-risk” borrowers, which hinders access to low-cost capital, which is essential for structural projects, mainly in infrastructure, electrification, industrialization, and technological advancement.
During his participation in the TICAD9 Business Summit, the Angolan statesman advocated for greater Japanese involvement in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He also noted that Africa’s vision for development is enshrined in the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a document that envisions joint efforts over the coming decades, based on strategic partnerships with key international players, including Japan.
President João Lourenço also participated in the 5th Noguchi Prize award ceremony, witnessed by the emperors of Japan, Japanese PM, Shigeru Ishiba, and several African heads of state and government.
On the occasion, he praised the tribute to Japanese scientist Hideo Noguchi, whose legacy lives on through his dedication to bacteriological research in Africa, where he died of yellow fever.
During TICAD9, 300 cooperation agreements were signed between Japanese and African entities, a number three times higher than that registered in the previous Edition, in 2022, in Tunisia.
Shigeru Ishiba also announced the creation of a specialized state commission to strengthen economic cooperation with Africa, involving the public, private, and academic sectors, along with the launch of the Indian Ocean Economic Area initiative.
Also in Yokohama, João Lourenço paid tribute to the Japanese people on the 80th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
“It was a painful moment that cannot be repeated anywhere on the planet, under any reason or pretext. We will all be vigilant together to prevent a repetition of this scourge,” he stated.
The President’s diplomatic agenda also included meetings with the Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba; the Presidents of Burundi, Évariste Ndayishimiye; and of Togo, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé; the Prime Minister of the DRC, Judith Suminwa Tuluka; the Prime Minister of São Tomé & Príncipe, Américo dos Ramos; and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, among others.
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