Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's Visit to African Nations
(Overview and Evaluation)

13 January 2001
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori paid a visit to African nations and the Hellenic Republic (Greece) from 7-15 January. Ms. Sadako Ogata, former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), accompanied Prime Minister Mori for the whole visit.

The following is an overview and evaluation of Prime Minister Mori's visit to three countries in Africa (the Republic of South Africa, the Republic of Kenya, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria):

1. Overview

Prime Minister Mori realized the first visit to sub-Saharan Africa of an incumbent Japanese Prime Minister under the recognition that "there will be no stability and prosperity in the world in the 21st century unless the problems of Africa are resolved." Prime Minister Mori's main meetings and events in each country were as follows:

(1) South Africa
Summit Meeting with President Thabo Mbeki
Policy speech on Japan's basic philosophy regarding cooperation with Africa

(2) Kenya
Summit Meeting with President Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi
Visit to the Kakuma Refugee Camp
Visit of Japanese official development assistance (ODA)

(3) Nigeria
Summit Meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo
Japan-ECOWAS summit dialogue with (Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)) President Alpha Oumar Konare of the Republic of Mali and President Obasanjo

2. Evaluation

(1) Each of the three countries' leaders highly appreciated Prime Minister Mori's visit to sub-Saharan Africa, which was his first overseas trip of the new century, as an expression of Japan's determination to address African problems. This could be considered to further enhance relations with Africa and also be conducive to reinforcing Japan's influence in the international community.

(2) In his policy speech on Japan's basic philosophy regarding cooperation with Africa, which he delivered in South Africa, Prime Minister Mori conveyed the message that Japan will develop new Japan-Africa relations based on the direction of future cooperation with Africa and extensive bilateral exchange, with support for development assistance and conflict prevention/refugee aid acting as though they were two wheels of a cart.

(3) Prime Minister Mori reconveyed Japan's basic stance of attaching importance to dialogue with developing countries in tackling challenges embraced by the international community through the continuation of dialogues with the leaders of African nations, which took place on the initiative of the Prime Minister on the occasion of the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit in July 2000 and the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000.

(4) During talks with each of the African leaders, Prime Minister Mori confirmed the necessity of strengthening bilateral partnerships on the basis of relationships of mutual trust between leaders. Furthermore, he expressed his support toward ECOWAS, which is contributing significantly in the fields of economic integration and conflict prevention in West Africa.

(5) Visiting the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya accompanied by Ms. Sadako Ogata, former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Prime Minister Mori confirmed for himself the present situation and conditions with which refugees are confronted, which enabled him to effectively demonstrate Japan's approach to refugee issues.

(6) CNN broadcasted on this tour focusing on Prime Minister Mori's visit to the refugee camp, and the western media also covered it at large. Furthermore, in addition to Sowetan, a South African newspaper, taking this up in an editorial, the mass media in Africa reported on it at considerable length. This coverage was effective in conveying Japan's positive message to the international community.