Summit Meeting Between Japan and the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Discussion with the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
(Summary)
12 January 2001
1. Meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
(1) Remarks made by President Obasanjo
- President Obasanjo remarked that Japan-Nigeria relations stretched back to before Nigeria's independence, and were further strengthened after independence. He noted that he had visited Japan several times due to the importance of Japan-Nigeria relations.
- President Obasanjo expressed his gratitude for Japan's assistance in such efforts towards development, the cultivation of human resources, and measures against corruption. He stated that, as the Nigerian people had called for democracy in order to improve their quality of life, poverty reduction was the most pressing issue for the country. He mentioned that the criterion for appealing for the promotion of trade and investment, debt reduction, and official development assistance (ODA) would be whether or not they contributed to poverty reduction. President Obasanjo also called for Japan's appreciation of Nigeria's efforts regarding conflict resolution. Furthermore, he mentioned plans to hold an AIDS Summit in July 2001, and emphasized their efforts to display leadership in this area.
- President Obasanjo referred to the meaningfulness of opening a new chapter in Japan-Africa relations at the dawn of the 21st century.
(2) Remarks made by Prime Minister Mori
- Prime Minister Mori expressed his pleasure to be able to visit Nigeria for the first time as the incumbent Prime Minister, and also to have met with President Obasanjo three times in the past six months.
- Prime Minister Mori remarked that the goal of the 21st century must be peace and prosperity, but there would be no stability and prosperity in the world in the 21st century unless the problems of Africa were resolved. He said that he had expressed his strong commitment towards Africa in the policy speech he delivered in the Republic of South Africa, and he voiced his high regard for Nigeria's contributions towards democratization, economic reform, and regional stability, and his intention to actively support President Obasanjo's reform efforts. He affirmed that support for development and conflict prevention, refugees aid were integral to Japan's policy towards Africa as if they were two wheels of a cart, and that Japan was resolved to cooperate in the priority area of Basic Human Needs which would directly benefit the people of Nigeria.
- Prime Minister Mori recognized that the debt problem was a serious issue for Nigeria, and referred to preparations underway for bilateral negotiations regarding debt rescheduling. He noted, however, that because debt relief was not a cure-all for poverty reduction and economic development, it was important to strengthen efforts toward development issues overall.
- Prime Minister Mori avowed that reform of the United Nations Security Council was an urgent issue in order to address frequent conflict, and that Japan believes that it would be appropriate for an enlarged Security Council to have 24 seats.
- Prime Minister Mori invited President Obasanjo to visit Japan in May 2001. (In response, President Obasanjo responded that he would be pleased to be able to visit Japan.)
2. Discussion with Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) President Alpha Oumar Konaré of the Republic of Mali
(1) Remarks made by Chairman Konaré
- Chairman Konaré noted that Japan was conducting various efforts with regard to Africa, such as the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), and that the Prime Minister's visit to Africa expressed his feelings of friendship towards the African people. He said that this was extremely meaningful in light of the increasingly pessimistic atmosphere towards Africa.
- Chairman Konaré explained that ECOWAS encompassed 16 countries that had a combined population of 220 million and were rich with natural resources. He also expressed their desire to form one large country in the future.
- Chairman Konaré stated his conviction that, although ECOWAS countries faced issues such as conflict and disease, if support were provided, such as private investment, they would be able to resolve such problems.
- Chairman Konaré expressed understanding for the position of Japan towards reform of the United Nations Security Council. He maintained that Japan could have confidence in them, and that ECOWAS also had confidence in Japan.
(2) Remarks made by Prime Minister Mori
- Prime Minister Mori remarked that, as ECOWAS played an active role not only with regard to regional economic integration, but also in conflict prevention, Japan appreciated its contributions to Africa's development and stability.
- Prime Minister Mori stated that, in terms of conflict prevention, collaboration with the United Nations and regional organizations, resolution of issues pertaining to natural resources such as diamonds and water, and more fundamentally, the resolution of social problems such as poverty would be important.
- Prime Minister Mori also mentioned that Japan was taking a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention by respecting the diversity of culture, and pursuing human security.
- Prime Minister Mori expressed his admiration for the African initiatives of President Konaré of the Republic of Mali and President Obasanjo of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as his intention to investigate how Japan will be able to assist them.
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