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Japan PM in Kenya to launch summit on African development
Posted On Sep 05 2016
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It is the first time that the TICAD conference is being held in Africa, with all five previous events hosted in Japan.
Mr Abe, who will officially open TICAD V1 with President Kenyatta, began his visit to Kenya by laying a wreath at the mausoleum of the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and thereafter proceeded to State House.
Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Mr Shinzo Abe promised leaders of different African countries that his country would provide 10 billion U.S. dollars in a period of three years for infrastructural development in the continent with the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The list of attendees is full of VIPs, including 37 African heads of state and the leaders of the World Bank and the African Development Bank, to name a few.
“We laud Japan and the co-organizers for their continued commitment to Africa’s development, on the basis of the twin principles of Africa’s ownership and worldwide partnership”, Kenyatta said.
“Japan will nurture, without any pressure, (the area covering Asia to Africa) into a place that puts importance on the rule of law and a market economy”, he said. “This is an investment that has faith in Africa’s future, an investment for both Japan and Africa to grow together”, Abe said in a keynote speech at the opening session on Saturday. Organizers say that over 10,000 delegates have registered to participate in the conference at Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Conference Center.
The President said that Kenya has signed a document on promotion and protection of investment, a move that is expected to spur Japanese investment in Kenya.
Last year Japan recorded approximately $24 billion in total trade with Africa.
During their meeting, the ministers reviewed the progress of the commitments of the TICAD V, held in 2013 in Yokohama (Japan).
The official news agency (SUNA) said that Salih has arrived in Nairobi on Friday evening to take part in the meeting without indicating reasons that prevented al-Bashir’s participation in the summit.
