Countries & Regions

On June 2, for about 30 minutes from 10:50am, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida had a meeting with H.E. Mr. Hamadi Ould baba ould Hamadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, in Yokohama, Japan. The following is the gist of the meeting. Foreign Minister Hamadi is visiting Japan to participate in the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) held from June 1 to June 3.

1. At the beginning of the meeting, Foreign Minister Kishida welcomed the visit of Foreign Minister Hamadi, and expressed his hope for development both in Africa and Japan, and the enhancement of Japan-Mauritania relations in the wake of TICAD V, which marks the 20th anniversary of the TICAD process.
2. Foreign Minister Hamadi noted that Japan’s long-term assistance to Mauritania has helped the development of his country in an effective way, while touching on his last visit to Japan that took place two years ago. In particular, he expressed his sincere gratitude for Japanese cooperation in the field of fisheries, which started back in the 1960s, mentioning that the grant aid for the Expansion of Fishing Port in Nouadhibou, on which the two countries signed the document last month, will contribute to the diversification of the fishing industry in Mauritania. In addition, Foreign Minister Hamadi expressed his hope to expand the scope of cooperation with Japan, and in this regard, showed expectations for the Japanese public and private sectors to participate in the development of natural resources in Mauritania, such as iron ores, gold, copper, phosphorus, oil and natural gas, and in such fields as agriculture, transportation infrastructure and energy.
3. Foreign Minister Kishida informed that Japan is keen to strengthen the bilateral relations with Mauritania in the field of fisheries, etc. Also, he appreciated counterterrorism measures implemented by Mauritania and stated that Japan would provide strong support for the achievement of peace and stability in the Sahel region. Foreign Minister Kishida expressed his intention to strongly support the growth of Mauritania, and his hope that the grant aid for the Expansion of Fishing Port in Nouadhibou will contribute to the development of the fishing industry in Mauritania.
4. They exchanged opinions concerning cooperation in the international arena including the development of Africa.