Press Releases

1. Bilateral meetings and informal talks with Ministers of African countries and high level officials of the African Union (AU)

1. Mr. Fukazawa held series of bilateral meetings and informal talks with the following Ministers of African countries and high level officials of the AU in the margin of the AU Executive Council in Addis Ababa.
   • [Bilateral Meetings]
   • H.E. Mr. Simeón Oyono Esono Angue, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Diaspora of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea
   • Hon. Mr. Lejone Mpotjoana, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of the Kingdom of Lesotho
   • H.E. Mahamat Saleh Annadif, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chad
   • H.E. Mr. Nabil Ammar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad of the Republic of Tunisia
   • H.E. Mr. Dhoulkamal Dhoihir, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in charge of Diaspora and
   • Francophonie of the Union of Comoros
   • Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, The African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD）
   • [Informal Talks]
   • H.E. Dr. James Pitia Morgan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan
   • H.E. Mr. Ismaïla Madior Fall, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Senegal
   • H.E. Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson, AUC
   • H.E. Ms. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, AUC
   • H.E. Prof. Mohamed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, AUC
   • H.E. Ms. Mariatou Koné, Minister of National Education and Alphabetization of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
   • Hon. Ms. Anna Nghipondoka, Minister of Education, Arts and Culture of the Republic of Namibia
2. During these meetings, Mr. Fukazawa exchanged views on ways to strengthen the multilayered cooperation between Japan and Africa, including cooperation toward the TICAD Ministerial Meeting to be held in Tokyo this year and TICAD 9 to be held in Yokohama next year. Mr. Fukazawa also exchanged views on ways to strengthen cooperation with African countries on various international issues, including the UN Security Council reform.

2. AUDA-NEPAD/JICA Side Event in the Margin of AU Assembly “TICAD’s achievement in 30 years and the Prospects for Africa’s Development”

On 16th, Mr. Fukazawa participated in the side event on “TICAD’s achievement in 30 years and the Prospects for Africa’s Development” co-hosted by JICA and AUDA-NEPAD. In the event Mr. Fukazawa presented the development of African countries and Japan's cooperation over the past 30 years, and cooperation towards the success of this year's TICAD Ministerial Meeting and next year's TICAD 9.

3. Visit of ODA project site

On 16th, Mr. Fukazawa visited the Kaizen Excellence Center which was constructed under the "The Project for the Construction of TICAD Human Resource Development Center for Business and Industry”. During the visit, H.E. Mr. Melaku Alebel, Minister of Industry of Ethiopia, explained Ethiopia’s Kaizen related activities which aiming at extending the cooperation with other African countries. They also exchanged views on measures to increase trade and investment in Ethiopia and importance of human resource development, among others.

5. Participation of the Signing Ceremony of Grant Aid Project through UNESCO

On 16th, Mr. Fukazawa attended the signing ceremony of the "The Project for Capacity-building of Teachers to Promote Continuous and Inclusive Access to Safe and Quality Education for Girls in West Africa" between Mr. Tsutomu Nakagawa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Japan to the African Union, and Dr. Quentin Wodon, Director of the International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa, UNESCO.