Japan-Niger Relations

On August 29, for about 20minutes, from 4:30 pm, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a summit meeting with H.E. Mr. Issoufou Mahamadou, President of the Republic of Niger, in Yokohama, Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows. President Issoufou is visiting Japan to participate in the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) held from August 28 to 30.

1. At the outset, Prime Minister Abe stated, “Japan applauds Niger’s efforts for peace and stability. Japan wishes to strengthen cooperation with Niger, which will serve as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council from January next year.” In response, President Issoufou stated, “I appreciate the warm welcome,” and expressed his gratitude for Japan’s cooperation in the field of peace and security and other areas.
2. Following that, Prime Minister Abe expressed Japan’s intention to support Niger, which fights against terrorism, through provision of humanitarian and development assistance with a view to supporting the efforts of the G5 Sahel. Prime Minister Abe also stated Japan’s intention to support irrigation agriculture and improvement of food security. In response, President Issoufou stated Niger’s appreciation for Japan’s support for food security, and expressed his expectations for further cooperation in the area of water and sanitation, education and vocational training.
3. The two leaders also exchanged views regarding cooperation in the international arena, including UN Security Council reform, and the North Korea situation.