Climate Change

　On March 8, Mr. Kiyoshi Odawara, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, held talks with the Hon. Inia Batikoto Seruiratu, Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management of Fiji, during his visit to Japan.
　Mr. Odawara welcomed Minister Seruiratu's third visit to Japan and expressed his gratitude for the Minister's participation in the 15th Informal Meeting on Further Actions against Climate Change. He renewed Japan's appreciation of Fiji's assumption of the presidency of the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 23) to be held in Bonn, Germany in November this year. He further stated that Japan looks forward to Fiji's leadership in steady rulemaking for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and intends to cooperate to that end.
　In the meeting they also exchanged views on Japan's support to Fiji for recovery from the massive damage brought to Fiji by Cyclone Winston in 2016 and on capacity building for Pacific island countries through the Pacific Climate Change Centre to be established in Samoa.
　Mr. Odawara and Minister Seruiratu agreed to closely cooperate on disaster prevention and climate change toward the 8th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM8) to be held in May next year.

　(Note) Japan's support to Fiji for recovery from the damage by Cyclone Winston
　After the massive damage to Fiji caused by Cyclone Winston (Category 5) in February 2016, Japan gave support to the country through two rounds of provision of necessary equipment and materials and reconstruction of affected schools.

　(Note) the Pacific Climate Change Centre Project
　Japan provides support to build the Pacific Climate Change Centre to be based at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) headquartered in Samoa, the hub of environmental and climate change action in the Pacific region. It will help enhance the operational capacity of SPREP and improve the skills and expertise of all the countries in the region. The assistance of Japan is expected to contribute to increased resilience of the region to environmental problems and climate change.