Africa-Press – Mauritius. Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba announced on Thursday (21) the creation of a specialized commission to work on strengthening the economic cooperation with Africa.
The future commission will involve the public, private, and academic sectors, and will be accompanied by the launch of the Indian Ocean Economic Area initiative, he explained.
Shigeru Ishiba made the announcement while speaking at the Public-Private Business Dialogue debate during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), taking place in the Japanese city of Yokohama.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister expressed his respect and recognition to the more than 20 heads of state present in Yokohama for TICAD9 for the progress made by the African Union (AU) leadership in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He continued stressing that Japan will also cooperate to strengthen regional connectivity, both within and outside the continent, promote the industrial development of neighboring regions, and strengthen cross-border regional logistics.
According to the Japanese PM, Japan aims to be a unique source of connection between the African continent and other regions of the world, in addition to strengthening financing for sustainable growth, led by the private sector.
In partnership with development finance institutions, he said, Japan is seeking the ideal combination of public and private resources to contribute to solving social challenges, including Africa industrial development.
The Japanese Premier acknowledged that the international community is currently facing complex crises, such as global warming, which is primarily affecting agriculture and fisheries, and for which the partnership between Japan and Africa should leverage the strengths of both parties.
On another note, he advocated for the unification of the strengths of Africa and Japan, while Japan pledged to work together to resolve social challenges and build a future of mutual growth.
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