Dispatching a Government and Private-sector Joint Mission to the Philippines to Support Development of BIMP-EAGA

February 24, 2006

The Government of Japan will dispatch a government and private-sector joint mission to seek the area of cooperation with BIMP-EAGA (BIMP-East ASEAN Growth Area) from February 26 (Sun) to 28 (Tue) to Davao in the southern part of Mindanao Island, the Philippines.
This mission comprises 23 representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, the Japan External Trade Organization, the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and private companies.
In response to the requests from the four BIMP member countries and the other ASEAN countries, Japan has expressed to support the development of BIMP-EAGA in order to redress inter-regional balances in the ASEAN. Japan also made a commitment to dispatch a mission to BIMP-EAGA in the Japan-ASEAN Plan of Action which was issued at the Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit held in December 2003.

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