Press Releases

On September 13, commencing at 3:05 p.m. for approximately 30 minutes, Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Fumio Kishida received a courtesy call from Ms. Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP). The overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. At the beginning, Minister Kishida expressed gratitude for Executive Director Cousin’s proactive contribution to the discussions at the World Assembly for Women in Tokyo (WAW! Tokyo 2014), along with saying he was concerned by the continuing serious humanitarian crises in Syria, Iraq and South Sudan and the large number of people suffering from food shortages due to the impact of Ebola virus disease in West Africa, and appreciates the WFP’s activities on the front lines in these regions.

2. In response, Executive Director Cousin congratulated Minister Kishida on the holding of WAW! Tokyo 2014, along with stating that she was grateful for the Government of Japan’s support for the WFP. Executive Director Cousin also mentioned that humanitarian needs in the Middle East and African regions were soaring, including support activities related to Ebola virus disease, and expressed expectation for Japan’s continuous support.

3. Both sides also exchanged views on cooperation in the lead-up to the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and cooperation between Japan and the WFP, including active role Japanese personnel play, and shared the view that they will continue to cooperate closely.