TICAD 7 sign of Japan openness to Africa- former diplomat

CAIRO, 28 August 2019: The seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), which kicked off in the city of Yokohama earlier Wednesday, is a sign of Japan's openness to Africa amid a global competition to tap African markets and invest in the resource-rich continent, a former diplomat said.

Africa is sure an important continent to Japan and all major industrial countries, said former assistant foreign minister Hussein Haridi in statements to MENA.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has, since Egypt assumed presidency of the AU, been acting to boost sustainable development in Africa in line with a 2063 agenda and is sparing no effort to achieve security and stability in the continent, Haridi noted.

He touched upon Egypt's moves to implement the 2063 sustainable development agenda, which entails fighting corruption, terrorism, organized crimes and human trafficking.

Egypt is also keen on enhancing international partnerships with Africa, including those between the continent and global financial and economic institutions, Haridi said.
Sisi and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inaugurated TICAD 7 earlier today.