Press Releases
Meeting between State Minister Sato and the Minister of Planning and Development of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
On October 7, commencing at around 4:05 p.m. for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. Masahisa Sato, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, met with Mrs. Niale Kaba, Minister of Planning and Development of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, who is visiting Japan to attend the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) Ministerial Meeting. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
1. In opening statements, State Minister Sato sincerely welcomed Minister Kaba’s attendance at the TICAD Ministerial Meeting. He stated that Côte d’Ivoire is a driving force for the West African economy, which is something that he had felt palpably for himself when he visited Côte d’Ivoire in November 2017. He stated that Japan places importance on bilateral relations.
2. State Minister Sato also noted that Côte d’Ivoire is important for the “West Africa Growth Ring” wide-area development initiative and on this point it was wonderful to see steady progress being made on improvement of the Japan-Ivorian Friendship Intersection and assistance for the construction of a cereal berth at the Port of Abidjan. He also conveyed Japan’s plan to provide loan aid for the construction of three traffic intersections in Abidjan. He also welcomed the exchange of notes in October on grant aid for construction of a vessel landing facility. In addition, State Minister Sato stated that the conclusion of a bilateral investment agreement would be important for further vitalizing economic activities between the two countries in the future.
3. Minister Kaba expressed her delight that cooperation with Japan has been expanding in recent years and extended her appreciation for Japan’s infrastructure-related assistance, including the improvement of traffic intersections. She also noted that Côte d’Ivoire will cooperate towards the conclusion of a bilateral investment agreement, and promised cooperation towards TICAD 7 next year.
4. In addition, the two Ministers held an exchange of views regarding cooperation in the international arena including the North Korea situation and Security Council reform.