Visit to Japan by Joint Visiting Groups to Support Reconstruction in Sudan

Marc 15, 2005

From March 15 (Tue) to 18 (Fri), Joint Visiting Groups to Support Reconstruction in the Sudan composed of state ministers of the Government of the Sudan, members of Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in the south and officials concerned of the Government of Norway and the World Bank will visit Japan.
This will be the first occasion on which both the Government of the Sudan and SPLM/A, the parties involved in the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement, will visit Japan together. The visiting groups will exchange views with officials concerned of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on such issues as the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in January 2005, the future development of the political process and the support measures for reconstruction since the Agreement was signed.
In September 2004, Japan invited the Sudanese Foreign Minister, and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and the then Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi encouraged him to take specific actions for the advancement of the North-South peace negotiations and for the resolution of the Darfur issue. In December 2004, when Mr. Ichiro Aisawa, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, visited Sudan, he also encouraged the government to bring to an early conclusion the North-South peace negotiation which was then in the final stage and to improve the situation in the Darfur Region.

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