Japan-Africa Journalists Symposium on African Development

February 20, 2008

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host “Japan-Africa Journalists Symposium on African Development,” in Tokyo on March 4, 2008, with the support of Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), The Asahi Shimbun, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Japan will host the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in Yokohama from May 28 to 30. Subsequently, the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, to be held from July 7 to 9, is expected to take up poverty alleviation in Africa and assistance to Africa as one of its main topics.
As a preliminary event to these meetings, journalists from Zambia, Tanzania, and Senegal will be joined with journalists and experts from Japan to discuss how to address the current situation and various challenges facing Africa.
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Masaharu Kohno will deliver a keynote speech at the beginning of the symposium.
This symposium, which is open to the public, aims to heighten awareness on African development in Japan through lively exchange of views in the run up to the TICAD IV and G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit.
Details on this symposium are available at http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/

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