Japan-Burkina Faso Relations
Japan-Burkina Faso Summit Meeting
Photograph of the Prime Minister welcoming the President of Burkina Faso
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
Photograph of the salute and the guard of honor ceremony n(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
Photograph of the salute and the guard of honor ceremony (Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
On November 19, commencing at around 6:00 p.m. for approximately 40 minutes, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, held a summit meeting with His Excellency Mr. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso, who was paying an official visit to Japan. The overview of the summit meeting is as follows.
Following the summit meeting, signings of the Japan-Burkina Faso Technical Cooperation Agreement and the exchange of notes on the grant aid project for food assistance took place in the presence of the two leaders and the two leaders issued a Joint Statement between Japan and Burkina Faso (French (PDF)
/ Japanese (PDF)). Subsequently, the two leaders held a joint press occasion. Prime Minister Abe and Mrs. Abe then hosted a dinner, where the two leaders discussed a broad range of topics relating to bilateral relations.
Photograph of the leaders shaking hands
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
Photograph of the Japan-Burkina Faso Summit Meeting
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
1. Opening remarks
(1) Prime Minister Abe welcomed President Kaboré on his first visit to Japan as President of Burkina Faso and stated that Japan emphasizes its relationship with Burkina Faso, which is on the front lines of combating terrorism and makes efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Abe also stated that he would like President Kaboré to attend the seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) and significantly advance the bilateral relationship on the occasion of this official visit to Japan.
(2) In response, President Kaboré expressed his gratitude for the official invitation by Japan which is known as a beautiful country and his intention to strengthen the bilateral relationship. He also explained the security situation and importance of security measures in the Sahel Region referring to combating terrorism which is Burkina Faso’s utmost interest. Furthermore, he expressed his thanks for Japan’s contribution in the security field and expected further support from Japan.
2. Bilateral relations
The two leaders welcomed that the Japan-Burkina Faso Business Forum was successfully held this afternoon and shared the view on the necessity of improving the business environment in both the hard and soft aspects to further promote Japanese companies’ investment to Burkina Faso.
Prime Minister Abe also stated that Burkina Faso played an important role in the project on the Corridor Development for West Africa Growth Ring and Japan will contribute to reinforcement of regional connectivity and the sustainable growth of Burkina Faso through developing quality infrastructure, which is unique to Japan.
In response, President Kaboré expressed gratitude for Japanese support in various fields such as food, agriculture, education and water projects and asked Japan to consider to conclude a possible Bilateral Investment Treaty to attract Japanese companies to Burkina Faso. The two leaders reaffirmed the role of education and vocational training as the basis of nation building and economic and social development.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe expressed gratitude for Burkina Faso’s support for Japan’s bid to host World Expo 2025 in Osaka.
3. Regional affairs and cooperation in the international arena
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a free and open maritime order based on international law and expressed strong opposition to any unilateral actions which increase tensions in the East and South China Seas. The two leaders also shared the view that full implementation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions is necessary for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Prime Minister Abe also requested understanding and cooperation for resolving the abductions issue and President Kaboré expressed support for this. Furthermore, the two leaders reaffirmed their shared position and cooperation for the early commencement of text-based negotiations on UNSC reform.
Photograph of the joint press announcement
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
Photograph of the joint press announcement
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)