Courtesy Call on Prime Minister Naoto Kan by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

June 2, 2011
Japanese

Today (Thursday, June 2), at the Mita Conference Hall, Prime Minister Naoto Kan received a courtesy call by H.E. Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, during her visit to Japan.

Prime Minister Kan expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the letter of sympathy extended by H.E. Mr. Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa, in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and for the outstanding activities conducted by the rescue team dispatched by South Africa to the affected area. Prime Minister Kan stated that Japan would like to further strengthen its political and economic relations with South Africa, an African major power rich in resources.
In response, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane conveyed a message from President Zuma, which again expressed his condolences to the victims of the disaster as well as his conviction that Japan will be fully recovered. Furthermore, the Minister stated that South Africa would hope to further strengthen the strategic cooperative relations with Japan, and that the two countries would work hand-in-hand in addressing global challenges in light of COP 17 to be held in South Africa in November 2011, among other items.
Prime Minister Kan stated that he would welcome the visit to Japan by President Zuma at an early date. Minister Nkoana-Mashabane stated that President Zuma would look forward to visiting Japan and that South Africa would like to work out the details of the schedule.

(*This is a provisional translation. The above date denotes the date of the issue of the original press release in Japanese.)

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