Joint Press Conference on the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) (Speeches and Statements by the Prime Minister)

[Provisional translation]

[Opening statement by Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru]

I’m extraordinarily gratified that TICAD 9, the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African
Development, has as soon as once more drawn to a profitable conclusion in Yokohama.

I want to specific my deep appreciation to President Lourenço of the Republic of Angola, who
co-chaired this Conference, in addition to the delegations of collaborating nations who traveled all the way in which from
Africa for this assembly, representatives of worldwide organizations and of the TICAD co-organizers, individuals
from our host metropolis Yokohama and personal enterprises, and everybody who labored collectively for the success of TICAD 9. I
am additionally sincerely grateful to former Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio for serving as Acting Co-chair of this Conference.
Thank you all very a lot certainly. In specific, President Lourenço and I exchanged views on quite a few events the
previous three days, and final evening we had dinner collectively, additional deepening our rapport.

While TICAD was underway, not solely did we maintain plenary periods, which the leaders of the
collaborating nations attended, but in addition we had over 200 seminars going down as a brand new initiative. More than 200
of those sideline occasions had been held, counting each symposia and seminars. Thematic occasions had been additionally organized, with
300 exhibition cubicles operating alongside numerous panel exhibitions.

Through these, an amazing variety of individuals had been engaged in lively discussions about African
improvement and future cooperation. I had the chance to go to quite a few exhibition cubicles myself yesterday
for a short while. As the saying goes, “Seeing is believing,” and by seeing numerous displays and so forth for
myself, I grew to become very keenly conscious of Africa’s dynamism and potential in addition to the boundless prospects for
cooperation between Japan and Africa.

I held bilateral conferences with 34 leaders. I really feel that by such alternatives, by coming to know
the wants particular to particular person nations and by studying from one another, we had been in a position to determine paths in direction of
additional strengthening our relationships into the long run. In this fashion, TICAD 9 has been a venue for very significant
exchanges of views. While the time allotted to every bilateral assembly was not very lengthy, I acknowledge that such a
format enabled us to have very concentrated discussions.

TICAD 9 took up the theme of “Co-create innovative solutions.” We had significantly in-depth
discussions on methods to amalgamate Japan’s applied sciences and experience and options domestically developed in Africa in
order to generate options to the problems dealing with Africa and the worldwide group. The outcomes had been compiled
into after which adopted because the TICAD 9 Yokohama Declaration, about which you had been supplied an summary earlier.
Centering on the three pillars of financial system, society, and peace and stability, our Conference targeted on
public-private cooperation, empowering youth and ladies, and regional integration and connectivity.

In the long run, Japan will speed up its efforts in seven areas. The first of those is boosting
funding in Africa by Japanese corporations; the second is selling the mobilization of personal capital. These two
areas will allow the conclusion of income concurrently with the decision of social points. The third space is
leveraging synthetic intelligence (AI), digital transformation (DX), and different technique of resolving points alongside
a strengthening of business cooperation, together with by bolstering the resiliency of mineral useful resource provide chains.
The fourth is enhancing connectivity inside and past the African area by the African Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA) and the Economic Region Initiative of Indian Ocean-Africa. The fifth is enhancing insurance policies within the
subject of well being, and the sixth is human useful resource improvement and change throughout a variety of fields, with a
give attention to youth and ladies. The seventh and last space is advancing efforts that promote Africa’s peace and stability.

We have turned to a brand new web page within the TICAD course of, specifically, considered one of co-creation, whereby we work
collectively to plan options to challenges. Prompted by TICAD 9, Japan will harness these efforts to be much more
engaged in increasing its funding in Africa’s future, strengthening industrial cooperation, and creating
Africa’s human sources.

We at the moment are three a long time into the TICAD course of. More than 30 years have handed since TICAD’s
inception in 1993. As I said in my closing remarks on the Conference, the worldwide group is now altering
dramatically, and with the adoption of Agenda 2063, a improvement imaginative and prescient Africa itself formulated, regional
integration has been progressing and Africa’s position within the worldwide group is more and more vital. TICAD
has additionally continued to evolve as a platform for discussing Africa’s prosperity and future and as a venue fostering
mutual friendship and belief, responding all of the whereas to modifications within the instances and different developments.

I perceive that TICAD’s origins are in supporting Africa’s improvement and financial progress,
grounded within the elementary rules of African possession and worldwide partnership. As the worldwide
group faces multifaceted crises, Japan will work to repeatedly enhance the TICAD course of. We will faithfully
uphold the TICAD rules and consider the voices of you, the individuals within the TICAD course of, with the
goals of responding to additional modifications and challenges dealing with Africa and the worldwide group as an entire and
persevering with to collectively construct the long run we want. We aspire to boost cooperation between Japan and Africa to a brand new
dimension. I very a lot sit up for the chance to satisfy and join with you all once more, taking that as our
aim. Thank you very a lot.